Liability
by Z. R. Coeur
Summary: It's too high a risk for him to take - at least, that's what he keeps telling himself. In which Dick Grayson guards his heart too carefully, and a certain Tamaranean leaves hers wide open. Cover art by Gretlusky.
1. Chapter 1

Hello all! I'm excited to share this story with you, so I'll keep the intro note short - this fic has been a baby of mine for a while. It's been completely mapped out with several chapters prepared in my buffer. I plan on updating once a week, maybe more, depending on how long it takes for me to write and my wonderful editor (Cas from fanfictionbetas) to edit. More at the bottom.

I hope you guys enjoy this. Without further ado...

 _ **Chapter I**_

"What were you thinking?"

She huffs and crosses her arms, lips pressed together in a straight line. Her eyes follow him as he paces before her, his movements sharp and angry. He stops and turns to face her, and she fights to maintain eye contact despite the freezing glare he is directing her way.

"Starfire, answer me."

She leans against his desk and sighs.

"I do not wish to fight."

"You should have thought about that before you disobeyed orders," He snaps, running a hand through his hair. She says nothing and looks away, fingers fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

"Starfire." This time his tone is low and deadly, and she knows he is struggling to reign in his anger, "I'm going to ask you one last time, and I expect a real answer. Why did you throw yourself in front of Plasmus after I told you to fall back?"

"I did not throw myself in front of Plasmus," she says quietly, eyes fixed on the floor. A storm of anger and sadness swirls inside her chest, twisting her feelings into tight knots.

He snorts and smiles humorlessly.

"Thanks for clearing that up, Star, I really appreciate it."

Her eyes flash a bright and brilliant green. She lunges and suddenly he is pressed to the wall behind him.

"I threw myself in front of _you_."

His glare softens slightly as he places his hands on hers, gently pushing her towards the bed.

"Sit down," he asks, and she does, her gaze having returned to the soft carpeted floor.

"Talk to me."

"I-I do not regret it. Not even a little; you were in the way of harm and it is my job to protect those who are in danger."

"It's my job too, Star. You think I don't know the risks of going out there and saving lives?"

She scowls at him for a moment, muttering beneath her breath menacingly.

"Come again?"

"I said, I know perfectly well about the risks, _Dick._ " She says icily, and he wishes she'd never learned of his nickname.

"Low blow, Kori. C'mon, you've heard the talk about a hundred times by now. A relationship is-"

"A liability, I know. And I am sure you are well aware that I am an alien princess with flight, fire-power, and super-strength. I believe I can do the handling of things."

He smiles and takes her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Yeah, you can. But you're also out there fighting bad people and throwing yourself into acid and getting abducted by space monsters-"

"I am a liability no matter what, Richard. X'hal, one would think you would have learned this by now."

"It's not the same."

"It is the same. I am in love with you, just as you are in love with me. There are no complexities needed here. The world knows we harbor deep feelings for one another, and it is silly to play this game. I threw myself before you because I cannot watch the man I love suffer and perish. Similarly, you will not allow us to pursue a real relationship, because you cannot bear to watch me leave, as inevitably, I may." She tugs her hands away and pulls her knees to her chest, regarding him silently.

He doesn't know how to respond to that, so he doesn't, and instead watches her play with the guards on her wrists.

"It is not your father's rule, Richard." She says, gazing at him through sad eyes, "It is yours. You fear loss. The Batman raised you to be cautious, and I am very thankful he did- but he did not teach you to close yourself off from love. You did that to yourself."

"Kori-"

"Liability or not," She cuts him off, tugging the guards off her arms absentmindedly, "you will always find a reason to protect me, and to protect your heart. You will put up walls and shield yourself with anger as you were doing now, and you will shut me out when it suits you."

"No-" He blurts, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him. "Kori, I…I don't want to shut you out," he pleads.

"Tell me you love me, then."

"I-"He begins, then stops, turning away. "Isn't it enough for you to know? You don't need to hear me say it."

"But you do," she says gently, touching his cheek. Blood pounds in his ears, his heart thudding fast in his chest.

He kisses her.

His hands rest on her waist, her arms wind around his shoulders, and in that moment, they are lost in each other. She is warm and familiar and their mouths fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Right now, she is everything. She is always everything.

Then, she breaks it. She touches his cheek and says the words that break his heart. She rises from the bed, guards in hand, and walks to the door. Light floods the room as it swishes open, and for a moment, he can only see her, fire-edged and lovely. She places a hand against the frame of the door, and pauses, casting him another sad-eyed look.

"I cannot bear to watch you do this to yourself, Richard." She whispers. She turns around and leaves.

He sits in the dark and peels off his mask with a sigh, tossing it onto his bedside table. She's right, and he knows it, but it doesn't change anything. If keeping her at arm's length means lowering the risk of hurting her, he'll do it. If protecting her means sacrificing himself, he'll do it.

If loss means saving her life, he'll give his own up in a heartbeat.

* * *

 _-Four Hours Before-_

It had been a slow afternoon, as most afternoons had been lately. Kori was lying on the couch, one hand on the remote, the other drumming against her bare stomach. She was dressed in civvies, a frequent occurrence nowadays. Pajama shorts, a sports bra, and a half-zipped hoodie so she could maintain a sense of Earthen modesty. Some daytime soap was blaring on the screen, but she could hardly pay any attention to it. It was the sound she appreciated anyways.

The tower had become painfully silent over the last few months, as her friends had begun to spend most days apart. Victor used most of his leisure time with Sarah, going out on dates whenever her schedule (and his duties) would allow it. Garfield had all but given up on wooing Raven, who now allowed him to accompany her to poetry slams and often found herself joining him at the arcade. Only Richard remained with her, but even this was a small consolation. He spent hours at a time training, working in the evidence room, or on occasion, visiting Gotham.

Crime rates had fallen in Jump. With technological upgrades and new training courses being provided to the JCPD, the Titans were seldom needed in cases, save for those dealing with metahumans and particularly vicious criminals. Things, in general, had quieted down.

Kori would be lying if she said she didn't miss it. The heat of battle, the movie nights and afternoons at the park, the picnics and candies and games they would play. She had always known things would change- growing up was inevitable.

She had never expected life to change so drastically.

" _Michael,_ mi amor _, I must confess…I lied about the night at Viscilli's_ ," the blonde woman on the screen clutched her tanned lover by the lapels of his coat, tears in her eyes.

He removed her hands from his jacket and sneered, hatred flashing in his eyes.

"Mi amor _?"_ He echoed, turning away, " _You do not know love, Lucinda, and if you did, you would've never slept with Enrique."_

Kori rolled her eyes and changed the channel, turning it to _Clash of the Planets II._ Tossing the remote aside, she floated off the sofa towards the kitchen, and retrieved a bowl filled with several cones of incense. Lighting a tiny starbolt on her finger, she set the incense aflame and set it on the table sighing deeply. The familiar scent wafted through the air, and it felt as if Raven was beside her, deep in meditation. The sound of glowing sabers meeting and the witty back-and-forth between the Emperor and his son filled her ears, and she could picture her green friend enraptured by the screen.

This was how she spent her days in the tower. When she wasn't venturing to the mall or spending time with Richard, she was building a scene for herself. She was happy for her friends; happy that they had found lives and loves and had made niches outside of their life as crime-fighters.

But Kori still missed her family.

She glanced at the clock.

 _1:54._

Richard had been training for nearly two hours now.

She contemplated checking on him, but decided against it. He would be short with her, and she was uninterested in his aloofness at the moment. He'd made his decision; she needed to make hers.

So she unwound the headphones wrapped around her iPod and plugged it in, snuggling up on the couch. She selected the playlist Victor had given her and switched it to shuffle, breathing in the incense, eyes fixed to the screen.

Vic's favorite song began, and she smiled, remembering the first time he'd played it for her.

 _He grinned, taking her by the hand._

" _I can't believe I haven't shown this to you, Star, it's the best song in the world! Dance with me."_

 _He spun her once, twice, mouthing the words emphatically. She giggled, shaking her hips beside him._

" _It's called_ The Night Begins to Shine. _It's an oldie that my dad and I used to listen to when I was a kid."_

" _It is wondrous!" She clapped her hands joyfully, twirling through the air. His smile widened._

" _Glad you like it lil' lady."_

Kori closed her eyes, hugging a black cushion to her chest.

Richard found her curled up and asleep an hour later, music blaring in her ears, the thick scent of incense hanging in the air, and _Clash of the Planets II_ playing on the television.

He sighed and turned the volume down, moving his attention back to her. Like she's the only thing in the room that really matters. Her fingers were clutching the purple iPod he'd given her two Christmases ago, the glittery headphones having fallen out of her ears. He paused whatever song had been playing and set it on the table, picking up the incense and moving it to the kitchen instead.

She shifted, mumbling something he can't quite hear, and stretched, before pressing the pillow closer to her body and cozying herself as deep as she can against the couch.

Seeing her this way broke his heart.

Kori had always been a force of nature. Bright, energetic, and social. She thrived on touch. She lived for the people in her life. She loved engaging her senses with sights and sounds and smells. He knew she had few memories from her youth that truly made her happy, and that most of the light in her heart came from her time with the Titans. He knew she was lonely, and he knew that he was neglecting her. They all were.

He touched her shoulder gently.

"Star? You hungry? It's almost three."

She stirred, eyes opening slowly. She blinked once, then shut her eyes and turned over on her side.

"Kori, wake up." He rubbed her arm, coaxing her to rise.

"No," She mumbled, burying her face into the cushions.

He smiled, running his fingers up and down the sides of her stomach. He felt her jolt, her muffled giggle sounding like music to his ears.

"C'mere you." He tickled her, smiling as her laughter became more apparent. She squirmed, stretching her legs out across his lap, holding his hands firm against her stomach.

"Richard, please!"

"Please what?" He grinned, wiggling his fingers.

"Please cease-" She laughed, her body rising into the air. Richard grabbed her by the ankles and tugged her down, repositioning her legs across his lap.

"Oh no you don't," He said playfully, much to her delight. This was the side of him she rarely got to see; the side that was reserved only for her. "There is no escape."

She tossed an arm over her eyes dramatically, and gasped.

"How I wish there was someone who might save me, a helpless damsel in distress!"

"Like who?"

Her eyes lit up, a sneaky grin crossing her face,"Like Nightwing."

Richard smirked.

"Nightwing?"

"Yes, he is most handsome, is he not? And quite adept at saving all sorts of people. Especially girls like me," She replied cheekily. He cocked his head, raising an eyebrow.

"Girls like you?"

She nodded.

"Yes. Tall girls with red hair and green eyes, who adore the color purple, and own a mutant larva, and come from a different planet. He enjoys saving us the most," she purred.

"You don't seem like the kind of girl who needs saving very often," He said, a faint flush appearing on his cheeks. She grinned and placed her hands on his chest, inching them upwards until her arms were looped around his neck. She ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the lack of space between them.

"On the contrary," She whispered, looking up at him from her position in his lap, "he saves me all the time. He holds me by the waist," he gripped her tighter at these words, "and I bring my arms around him like this, and then "she lowered her voice, her eyes darting to his lips, "we -"

He cut her off with a searing kiss, one hand on her waist, the other tangled in her fiery hair. She responded with equal fervor, pulling him against her.

This is what they have become.

They weren't an item, something Richard had to remind Kori of constantly. They shared secret kisses and late nights together. He left flowers in her room and she placed gifts in his. He never looked at another girl, and she never glanced at another man. But they were not together.

He insisted it was Batman's rule. That his mentor had instilled certain beliefs in him, and that regardless of the feelings he might hold for her, he was not going to put her life at risk.

"Greater risk," she'd corrected him.

"You know what I mean, Star. Love is a liability."

"Do you love me?" She would ask, knowing that he would not respond.

Instead, he captured her lips again, and smiled as she kissed back eagerly.

There was always a feeling of guilt present. She deserved better than his half-answers, and one day, she would not be so content with his mouth on hers. But for now, she was okay, because she knew his lips conveyed what words wouldn't.

This was who they were now.

* * *

 _Two Hours Before_

They were snuggled up on the couch, limbs tangled, her hand splayed on his chest. A black and white noir film was on, and while it seemed fairly interesting, Richard could only pay attention to the smell of her hair and warmth she radiated.

"Hey," he nudged her, "what are you thinking about?"

She buried her face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in.

"How I can make this last forever."

His smile dropped.

"Kori-"

"Do not remind me, Richard. Let us enjoy this while we can." Her voice was sharp, but he could hear the tremble beneath her tone. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. He had been thinking the same thing.

" _There's something sinister at work here, Elle,"_ the detective onscreen snarled, snuffing his cigar out in the dirty ashtray next to him. " _And you're in the middle of it."_

" _Andrew, I-"_

" _You're a stone cold woman and you don't care about anyone but yourself. You're selfish, you're cruel, and you're done playing your games with me."_ He gripped her wrist and glared down at her watery eyes.

"Richard?" She asks, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

Kori shifted so they were face to face, her hand slipping from its place on his chest.

"I think it is time for me to-"

Whatever she was about say got cut off by the screech of the Titan alarm and flashing of red lights. The crime scanner blinked on the console before them, zeroing on a purple blob in the center of the city.

"It'll have to wait, Star," He said, rising from his seat, "Plasmus is downtown. Get dressed."

Moments later, the N-Cycle was weaving in and out of traffic through Jump. A streak of purple and red flew through the air, matching pace with the bike below.

"Cyborg, come in, Cyborg," Nightwing's voice crackled through the open feed, "Raven, Changeling, Plasmus is hitting Sector C in the third quadrant. Starfire and I will meet you onsite."

"Nightwing, I do not think they-"

"Raven, Cyborg, Changeling, five minutes. We'll see you there."

Starfire sighed, snapping her communicator shut. She knew Cyborg liked to mute his when he was out with Sarah, and that Raven and Changeling had probably done the same, depending on where they were. She didn't blame them. There were days where she longed for that easy solitude with Nightwing.

But there were many more where she wanted to partake in battle with her team.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a loud exclamation of her name and the sight of green sludge flying towards her. Starfire's eyes widened as she quickly dodged the lime colored acid.

Plasmus gurgled from his perch on the fountain in the center of the square, shooting a barrage of toxic waste from his body rapidly.

"Be careful!" Nightwing barked angrily. She didn't miss the tremor in his voice.

He battered away flying heaps of purple and green goop with his escrima sticks, ducking as the occasional projectile flew past his head. He shot her a look she knew well- divide and conquer.

Starfire flew in from the opposite direction, shooting starbolts along Plasmus's body vertically. Bursts of slime sprayed from the spots she hit, fizzling out as they hit the pavement.

Nightwing hissed in pain as a splash of green grazed his sleeve, devouring the fabric. He glanced at the girl in the sky, and as he expected, she had frozen, eyes fixed on the gash in his arm.

"Richa-"

"Don't worry about me, Starfire, keep moving," He grunted, crouching as another blob came hurtling towards him. "You know what to do."

She sped forward, fists glowing with hot energy. She aimed her body towards his middle, intending to slice through and pull Otto away from the monster that enveloped him. Before she could touch him, his body began to bubble, shifting from purple to a simmering green. He expanded, eyes melting into his body, blowing up like a bubble about to burst.

"Star! Pull back!" She heard Nightwing yell into her earpiece. She continued her descent, the green lights round her hand spreading throughout her whole body.

"Starfire!" He bellowed, reaching for his grappling cable. Just as he was about to shoot it, Plasmus's body burst, sending a wave of acid flying through the air.

"Nightwing!" Starfire screamed, diving towards him. She threw her body in front of his, shielding him from the wall of green that was coming upon them. Stray droplets hit her skin and she fought not to cry as they burned into her arms and legs.

And then, it stopped.

A black globe swirled around them, protecting from the impact. Starfire released Nightwing from her grasp, peering through the darkness above them.

Raven stood on a flat black disk in the air, hands outstretched in their direction. A green pterodactyl hovered behind her, his eyes following the body of Otto Von Furth, which had gone flying through the air.

"I got him!" Cyborg called from across the square, catching the mostly naked man in his arms. Otto groaned and went limp, exhaustion rolling over him.

Raven allowed the shield around Starfire and Nightwing to fall, joining the other Titans on the ground.

"What happened?" She asked, surveying the area surrounding them. The fountain stood bright and undamaged amid the wreckage of the square. The ground was littered with scraps of metal and smoking pot holes. Glimmering powdered glass dusted the broken cars which had been partially eaten away by the green sludge.

"Plasmus happened. Nightwing and I fought him off as best as we could, but as I attempted to pull Otto out of his hold, he-" Starfire made the motion of an explosion and shrugged.

"That's never happened before."

"Indeed. It was quite shocking, we had little time to react. I am just glad you came when you did."

Cyborg lifted his arm, tapping it intently.

"Sensors are indicating higher levels of toxicity in his system. Must be why he exploded. Some sort of defense mechanism."

"Well whatever it is, he's out cold, and we won again," Changeling added with a grin, "so who's up for some pizza?"

"I'm down. Let me just call Sarah real quick and let her know we're heading out."

Starfire smiled.

"How was your date today?"

Cyborg blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It was great. I think it's almost time to...yknow…" He trails off.

The Tamaranean gasped, much to her green friend's confusion.

"You mean-"

"Uh huh."

"Wait, what? What am I missing?" Changeling asked. Starfire threw herself at the cybernetic man, hugging him tight.

"I am so happy for you!"

"Seriously, what am I missing?"

Raven shook her head at the exchange, lips quirking up in a half-smile. She turned to Nightwing, who had yet to say a word.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"It doesn't take a bond, let alone an empath, to figure out there's something wrong with you."

Nightwing shot her a glare.

"You really want to know what my deal is, Raven? You guys weren't here. I'm happy for you and Gar, and seeing Victor and Sarah together is everything, but god, would it kill you guys to come by now and again? Starfire could've been killed today, I could've been killed today."

Her eyes widened.

"Dick-"

"She spends her days drinking your tea and watching Gar's movies and wearing my cape and listening to Vic's playlist. She's so fucking lonely and she misses her family."

"We-"

He sighed.

"I'm sorry. Go, get pizza. I need to wash up and get started on the report. We can have a heart to heart later." He touched her shoulder before stalking off, swinging a leg over the N-Cycle, and speeding off in the direction of the tower.

Starfire had been watching the entire time. She'd seen the harsh exchange, the slumped shoulders, the hasty exit that could only mean he was going to expel his fury in the gym.

She had watched helplessly as Nightwing left, knowing she could not do anything to fix what he was feeling.

Raven caught her eye and gave her the tiniest nod.

 _Go_ she mouthed.

"Where do we wanna hit first? Big Belly-Burger? Homeslice Pizzeria?"

Changeling shook his head.

"Come on, Cy, is that the best you got? I vote we go to Mama's."

"Italian! Good call Gar, I'll text Sarah to meet us there."

Starfire smiled.

"I shall join you later. I am very stinky right now and I have some burns to attend to," She gestured to the patches of red that littered her arms and stomach.

Raven nodded.

"Go get cleaned up. Come when you're ready." _When you're both ready._ It's added silently, in her head.

The Tamaranean did not miss the second meaning.

"I will."

Changeling frowned.

"Awww come on Star, we barely see you any more."

"I promise I will come as soon as I can, Gar. I am missing you very much as well."

He swung an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

"Don't be too late. Mama's is best when it's hot."

Raven took her hand and squeezed, a shared understanding passing between them.

"See you later Starfire."

"Goodbye Raven." She watched the shadow of an enormous black bird swallow them, a cool rush of wind blowing her hair back.

Cyborg approached her warily,"Something's up."

"I do not know what you are referring to." She averted her eyes, being careful to maintain a straight face.

"You're gonna go talk to him, aren't you." It wasn't a question. Starfire smiled sadly.

"I would not be much fun with the weight of my concern on my shoulders."

"'Sokay, we understand. Drag him out here if you have to. We haven't had a family meal in a while."

"I know."

Cyborg hugged her, kissing her on the forehead gently.

"I love you, Star."

She hugged back fiercely, with a somber finality between them.

"I love you too, Victor."

He pulled away and surveyed her.

"This feels like a goodbye hug."

"As of late, I feel as though goodbye is becoming inevitable."

Cyborg didn't argue. A slow, sad, smile came across his face as he nodded and touched her shoulder, before climbing into the T-Car and driving away.

Starfire was no stranger to crossroads. Her life was structured around them. From her days on Okaara, to her years in the Citadel, to her time with the Titans, she'd seen futures unfolding before her. Futures she could never have the luxury of choosing, because she never had the luxury of being selfish. Futures on Tamaran, futures with her sister, futures with Nightwing.

As she watched the T-Car leave her sight, she recalled the encounter with Warp all those years ago, and the unbidden words that had resounded in her head ever since.

" _Past, present, and future,"_ he had said coldly, " _it's all written in stone."_

Back then she had been confident that he was wrong. The future had been saved- she was still with the Titans, Jump City was still standing, and Nightwing was born of her suggestion, rather than her absence.

Nowadays, she feared the drifting was unavoidable.

"Excuse me, Miss Starfire?"

She turned to face the speaker and smiled upon seeing who it was.

"Officer Jamison, it is good to see you."

The officer smiled and tipped his hat, much to her amusement.

"I drew the short straw for the write-up. Wanna tell me what happened here?"

She shuffled her feet.

"Actually, I was wondering if perhaps I could forward that to you once I've washed up. It will be satisfactory, I can assure you."

He grinned.

"I have no doubt that's true, ma'am. But you know Chief Gables isn't a fan of his men leaving all the work to you Titans."

"I know, I know, and I will apologize to the Chief myself, but could you please, with the sprinkles and the syrup and the whipped cream, let me do this one more time?" She fluttered her lashes.

Jamison laughed.

"What would Nightwing say if he saw you flirtin' with a beat cop?"

She reddened.

"I do not know what you are referring to."

"Sure you don't. Alright, I'll let you go. Send me the report tonight though, okay? Or Gables is gonna have my ass." Jamison crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue, inciting a bout of giggles from the titan.

"Very well. After all, I cannot, in good conscience, allow such an ass to be destroyed by the Chief of police."

"Damn straight. Goodbye Miss Starfire." He said, turning away.

"It is simply Starfire," she called back, rising into the air.

"Nothing simple about it."

She laughed and soared through the air, glancing at the city as it passed beneath her.

There were days where she was so at ease with her new life, she forgot all about how different Earth was from Tamaran.

The lush jungles of her home planet had been decimated when the war first began, and so most of the land resembled a desert, warm and golden in the light of the sun. Jump was, as she had come to understand it, a jungle made by man, made of steel and silver and glass. It stood tall and strong, despite its structural weaknesses. It was surrounded by forest and sea, and it tasted like summer year round.

She breathed in the ocean spray as she skimmed its surface, enjoying the splash of water she left in her wake. The tower came into view ahead, imposing to all but her. It was a beacon of hope, a warning, a threat, and a home.

She would miss it all when it came time to say goodbye.

* * *

The first punch he threw was for Starfire.

 _Disobeys orders...insubordinate...could've lost her...fucking hell...hurt...dead...gone..._

Then it was his team.

 _Gone...all the time...lonely...missing...haven't talked in days…_

Plasmus.

 _Goddamn burning ball of goop I swear to god_

Himself.

 _Should've been more careful...should've protected her better…should've been stronger_

The rules.

 _I love her i love her i love her i love her-_

"Richard?"

He looked up from his assault, breathing heavily as he steadied the bag with one hand.

"What do you want?"

Her face crumpled at his tone.

"I- I merely wanted to check in and see if you were okay."

"I'm fine," he replied tersely, repositioning himself before the punching bag. He jabbed at it from the left, quick and fierce, throwing in a hard uppercut.

"You are damaged." She said quietly.

"I'm _fine,_ " he bit back. Two jabs, one punch, switch fists, begin circling. Assume first position, reared back, ready for response. Two jabs, one punch, switch fists.

She watched him and he knew she was watching him. Maybe that's why he made a show of it. Maybe that's why he stopped punching for anger and started throwing hits to impress.

She moved so quickly, he barely had time to react.

"Seriously?" He growled, shooting her a glare as she held the broken bag and chain in her arms. She tossed it aside and took him by the wrist, dragging him out of the gym.

"You are going to shower and I am going to repair you."

"What part of 'I'm fine' are you not getting, Starfire?"

"The 'I' and the 'am' and the 'fine'," She shot back, her own green eyed glare slicing into him.

"I'm a grown man."

"I have not noticed."

She unlocked his bedroom door and cast him a withering look.

"Shower. I will be here when you are done."

He grumbled something about princesses and annoyances and shut the door, peeling off his uniform and tossing it on the bed.

His mask came off and landed next to his belt and boots, which he'd haphazardly thrown on the floor when he first arrived home.

Among the many things he would never admit to her, he knew Starfire was right about the shower. His muscles, which he hadn't realized were aching, throbbed under the hot water before relaxing. The gash on his arm still stung, but that was unavoidable. He felt clean and clear-headed.

He came out of his bathroom with a towel around his waist and on his shoulders, a half-smile forming on his lips when he saw a fresh uniform on his bed, his mask, belt, and boots arranged beside it neatly. A purple sticky note had been placed on top of the pile, with loopy scrawl that read ' _Come to the infirmary, do not do the grumbling -Starfire'_ in black ink. He snorted and set the note aside before changing into his clean clothes.

By the time he arrived in their medical wing, she had set out a first aid kit. She was looking surprisingly stern, despite her dripping hair and civilian wear.

"Sit," she commanded, pointing to one of their cots. He rolled his eyes, obliging her nonetheless.

She fussed over him for a moment, before pulling his collar down.

"What are you doing?" He asked, a faint flush creeping up his neck. Her cheeks turned pink.

"Your injury is on your arm."

"Right." He swallowed, helping her pull the top of his uniform to his waist.

It wasn't the first time she'd seen him shirtless (they'd gone to the beach before, as well as all those times she had helped him suture wounds every now and then when Raven wasn't available), nor was it her favorite time seeing him bare-chested (two summers ago in the gym, after he'd gained two inches on her and had begun designing Nightwing), but she couldn't help but feel flustered.

' _X'hal, you are a_ vosutu _Kori! He is injured'_ she reprimanded herself, heart fluttering as she placed her fingers on his bicep.

It wasn't a large cut, but it had gone deeper than she liked. She prodded the area around the wound as gently as she could, biting her lip as she heard him grunt in pain.

"Richard-"

"Burn it shut, Kori."

"But-" She tries to cut across him.

"If you burn it shut, there'll be less of a chance of infection. Since it's deep and it's an acid burn, it's the best option." He said, touching her hand softly.

She nodded, the glow of a starbolt alight on her finger.

"Please be still," she asked, squeezing his hand.

She drew her finger along the length of the cut slowly, hearing the hiss of sizzling flesh.

Richard, to his credit, was the perfect patient, gritting his teeth and squeezing her hand as hard as he could without actually moving any limbs. He breathed deeply while she unrolled a thick strip of gauze, wrapping around his arm, and tying the ends together.

"You are healed," she proclaimed, stepping away to admire her handiwork.

"Thanks Kori," He said, setting his hands on her waist.

"You are very welcome," Kori touched his cheek, before returning to the supply table to fetch a few more rolls of gauze.

He raised an eyebrow, pulling the the top of his uniform up.

"Overkill, I think."

"They are not for you." She touched her waist gently, face screwing up in discomfort. He was by her side in an instant.

"Move your arms-"

"Richard, I am perfectly capa-"

"-didn't think to check how you might be do-"

"-your age, and I believe I know how to properly treat mysel-"

"-can't believe it didn't cross my mind-"

"-you are doing the fussing, I am okay-"

He directed her to his vacant seat on the cot.

"Starfire," he said, lips pressed in a thin line, "please."

"Fine," she gave in, sulking as he instructed her to remove her sweatshirt. She adjusted the strap of her lavender tank top while he observed her arms. She watched him retrieve a tub of paste from the supply table, and unscrew the cap, smoothing it over the darker burns. He wrapped the rest of them in fresh gauze before moving onto her stomach. She winced as he ran his hands over the patchy pink mark above her hip.

"Still say you're fine?"

"I am the peachy." She muttered, another muffled cry of pain escaping her lips as he spread the paste along the wound. Starfire watched him work in silence, adjusting the bandages every so often.

"I believe the others wished for us to meet them at Mama's for dinner."

"It can wait. I have paperwork to fill out."

"We have not had dinner as a family in quite a whi-"

He shot her a glare as he tied the final bandages.

"You go on ahead, I have to review the tapes."

"I promised Officer Jamison we would forward him a write-up of the incident. I shall stay with you and ask them to bring the to-go boxes for us."

Nightwing set the tub and gauze on the cot behind him and crossed his arms.

"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" He asked in a defeated tone.

She hopped off her perch, smiling.

"I am not."

He shook his head and pulled out his communicator, flipping it open.

"Guys, you there?"

Changeling's grinning face came into view.

"Hey 'Wing, where you guys at? We're getting a table right now."

"Starfire and I have some work to do. Can you grab us the usuals and bring them over when you're done?"

His teammate's smile faded, ears drooping.

"Dude, we don't get to do this super often, can't you just-"

"I'm sorry Gar," Nightwing replied apologetically, "it needs to be done now. We'll do dinner tomorrow night, okay? My treat." He promised.

"Well...alright," Changeling smirked, "Cy says not to have too much fun."

"We won't," he replied, deadpanned, "bye."

He shoved his communicator back into his belt and turned to her.

"Come on, let's go review the tapes."

She watched him smooth out the cot while she fiddled with the hem of her skirt.

"Nightwing?"

"Yeah?" He asked, looking back at her.

"I fear I am still damaged," she hitched the fabric higher on her left thigh, wincing as it grazed her skin.

A bloody gash, green around the edges, was slashed in a slanted line across her leg. Nightwing swore, dropping down on one knee to check the wound.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"It was not paining me and I did not think-"

"That's just it, Starfire, you never think." He snarled, reaching for the prepackaged alcohol swabs. "You put yourself in harm's way every chance you get, you're distracted and unfocused and undisciplined-" he rattled off her failures with a fury she'd only seen paralleled in his mentor, deft fingers wrapping fabric around her leg with practiced ease.

She caught his wrist, forcing him to look up at her.

"I am sorry."

Nightwing shook his head, drawing his hands away from her.

"Let's just review the tapes."

* * *

They were in his room. He'd retrieved footage from the cameras in the square and had loaded them on his computer, piles of incident forms and damage-related paperwork situated atop his desk. Starfire sat on his bed, legs crossed, her own review sheets in hand.

"Nightwing, I wish to-"

"Not now, Star," he cut her off, sighing. "I want to get this over with."

He hit play, and leaned forward, watching the scene unfold before him.

Plasmus was in the center of the square when they'd arrived. Nightwing took note of the vehicle marked _JCPD Facility Transport_ that rested on its side, doors flung open from behind.

"I keep reminding them to be careful with the metas," he grumbled, jotting something down.

Starfire chewed on the tip of her pen as she and Nightwing arrived onsite. She watched him lunge forward, batting away lumps of purple with his escrima sticks. A spatter of green erupted from Plasmus's arm, grazing Nightwing's arm.

Starfire winced as the onscreen Nightwing pointed away from himself, ordering her to continue her assault. Her gaze drifted to the barrage of starbolts that rained down on the monster. The starbolts stopped, and her body began to glow green as she twisted herself into a corkscrew position, aligning herself with Plasmus's middle. The creature swelled, oozing bubbles of acid rising all over him. Nightwing barked something inaudible, and she knew that was the moment he'd ordered her to fall back. She continued her descent, rearing back as the bubbles of acid grew in size. Nightwing was aiming his grappling hook at her, fear flashing across his face as Plasmus roared and burst. She gasped and shot forward, placing her body in front of his as a wave of acid rose above them.

The video froze.

Starfire set her pen down mid-sentence.

"Nightwing?" She touched his shoulder gently.

He tensed and rose from his seat, moving to the other side of the room. He paced, running a hand through his hair as he grumbled beneath his breath.

"Following orders isn't an option," he said coldly, "so don't think us kissing every now and then changes anything, Starfire."

She gasped, rising from the bed indignantly.

"How dare you-"

"This isn't about me, Starfire, this is about you failing to listen."

"I have done nothing wrong! I did what I thought was right-"

"What you _thought_? Enlighten me then. What were you thinking?" His tone turned low and deadly, eyes narrowed in a manner eerily similar to 'the bat-glare'.

"Starfire, answer me."

"I do not wish to fight," she crossed her arms and hung her head, staring at her boots.

"You should've thought of that before you disobeyed orders," he snapped, and she could feel her heart sinking to her toes. She said nothing.

"Starfire, I'm going to ask you one last time, and I expect a real answer. Why did you throw yourself in front of Plasmus after I told you to fall back?"

She hugged herself, and gave her response.

"Thanks for clearing that up, Star, I really appreciate it."

Her eyes flared with fury as she shot herself into him, pinning him to the wall.

"I threw myself in front of _you_." Her voice caught on the last vowel, lips trembling.

* * *

He is kissing her again, breathing her in like it's his last taste of air. Her fingers are buried in his hair, arms twisted around his neck. Somehow, there's too much space between them. He can feel her edging away from him, her kisses becoming pecks. He thinks she is blinking back tears.

When she breaks it, he can't help but cling to her. His hands have settled on her waist and he is certain he will have left prints in her skin.

She is sad-eyed when it's over, and completely shattered when she says the words.

"We will not do this any longer." Her fingers graze his cheek as she traces the edges of his mask.

"What? Why?"

"You cannot have it both ways. You either love me, or you do not." She rises from the bed, clutching her guards in hand.

"I cannot bear to watch you do this to yourself, Richard."

The door slides shut between them, and she can't help but think it's another wall standing in their way. She moves towards her bedroom door, each increase in distance unclenching her heart a bit more.

It wasn't meant to be like this. Tokyo was supposed to change things. The _kiss_ was supposed to change things.

" _You know you're my best friend, right?" Her heart fluttered at his words._

" _And you are mine."_

" _I'd never want anything to get in the way of that."_

" _Nothing ever could."_

" _I know."_

 _She leaned in slowly, her lips parted._

" _And so...we have nothing to fear."_

 _He closed the gap between them and was overcome with that blissful warmth he experienced around her. He shifted his arm, fingers drawing shapes on her skin lazily. She giggled, resting her hands on his shoulders._

" _Robin," She whispered, pulling away. She smiled dreamily, "That was wonderful."_

" _It was pretty nice, wasn't it," He grinned, cupping her cheek, "I'm starting to wonder why I-" he stopped, a thoughtful expression crossing his face._

" _Fear…" his eyes widened as he dropped his hands, rising from his seat on the rooftop, "that's it!"_

" _Robin…?" she looked up at him questioningly._

" _Saico-Tek was afraid of someone- terrified! And whoever they are, they're here in Tokyo. Everyone may think Brushogun is a myth, but to Saico-Tek, he was real."_

 _She rose from her perch and touched his shoulder._

" _But even if he is real, the Commander Daizo and his state troopers can surely handle-"_

" _Well if they can handle it, why are we here?" Robin interrupted. She drew her hand away, hugging herself as she looked out at the city._

" _I...believed us to be having 'the fun'."_

" _There's nothing fun about looking like a bunch of stupid kids," he snarled, "We're heroes, Starfire. We don't take vacations, we don't make mistakes, and we don't have time for-"_

" _For what?" she asked quietly, lifting her head. He turned, unable to face her._

" _For this."_

 _She moved closer, taking his arm gently._

" _Must we always be heroes? Are we capable of nothing else? Can we not, for a few moments, be something...more?"_

" _There is nothing more. A hero is what I am, and if you don't like it-"_

" _Robin," she backed away from him, blinking away tears, "I like it more than you will ever know."_

Back then she was certain he would come to his senses. That he would take note of the relationships budding in the tower and realize it was safe to pursue one himself. That he would finally, _finally_ , admit his feelings for her and do something about it.

She sighs and rubs her face tiredly, punching in the code to her bedroom.

Perhaps it was better this way. Pining had done nothing, talking had done nothing, _x'hal_ even kissing was useless.

Starfire flops on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, eyes tracing the glowing stars Richard had helped her paint two summers ago.

" _Constellations?" She echoed, drawing out patterns in the sky. He laughed and took her hand._

" _They're not quite so nonspecific, Kori. Here, see those three stars right there? Those make up Orion's Belt. And the stars around them make up the rest of his body."_

 _She cocked her head._

" _Who is this 'Orion'?"_

" _Well in Ancient Greek mythology, Orion was a brave warrior who hunted alongside the goddess Artemis, and when he died, she hung his body in the sky forever."_

 _Starfire considered this._

" _So it is similar to_ K'tgarka de X'hal _?"_

" _What's that?"_

 _She lifted her hand, green energy flaring at her fingertips._

" _Tamaraneans are filled with energy, though my sister and I are the only ones capable of harnessing it in the form of starbolts. The energy is difficult to expend for the average Tamaranean, but it is necessary to join the embrace of the goddess X'hal. When our warriors die, we set them aflame and release them into space, where they burn for thousands of years. Thus making them-"_

" _Stars," Robin said interestedly, turning to face her, "that's pretty incredible."_

 _She blushed._

" _There are many incredible things on Earth too."_

She remembers the evenings they spent talking. He would tell her about his life before Robin, when his family soared at Haley's Circus, and the days after. He talked about being the Boy Wonder, and his frustrations with his adoptive father. He spoke of the shadow he wished to escape, and the burden of a mantle he was secretly afraid to bear. When he was finished telling his stories, he would prop himself up on his elbow and turn his attention on her. She'd laugh and oblige him, sharing tales of life on Okaara, afternoons training with Galfore, the games she would play with her siblings. Sometimes she spoke of the war, even venturing into her time in the Citadel and the experiments the Psions had conducted on her. She cried that night, allowing him to hold her while she screamed into his chest.

There were few men she'd met who were truly as miraculous as Richard. And there were no men she would ever love as deeply as him.

A sharp rap at the door interrupts her thoughts.

"Starfire, can I come in?"

She sighs and sits up, resting against the headboard.

"You may enter, Raven."

The empath phases through the door in a swirl of darkness, pulling her hood down as she settles on the bed.

"You're projecting pretty strongly. Want to tell me what's up?"

Starfire hugs her knees to her chest and shakes her head.

"I believe you already know."

Raven takes her hand and squeezes it.

"Maybe so. But I'm not asking you to talk because it's best for me." She says, shooting her a half-smile, "You should probably just tell me unless you want me to call Gar and his kitten eyes in here."

The Tamaranean girl giggles and wipes her eyes.

"I suppose it would be wisest to simply 'spill'." She draws in a shaky breath, "Raven, I fear my time with the Titans is coming to an end."

Raven stills.

"Kori, you can't- it's not because of Dick, right? Because I swear-"

"I assure you, it is not all Richard," Starfire cuts her off sadly, "but a multitude of things. You are the most in tune with our family-"

"Actually, I'd argue that title might belong to you."

"-so you must have noticed the drifting. You must have felt us growing up. Victor plans on proposing to Sarah, you and Gar have found a relationship of sorts, Richard-" she pauses, and looks away, "Richard and I have our separate worlds. The Titans are seldom needed in Jump. It is time for me to find my own path."

Starfire glances at her friend uncertainly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Where will you go?" Raven asks, scooting to sit beside her.

Starfire shrugs.

"I do not know. I wish to explore Earth and it's many cultures, but there is a chance I may return to Tamaran."

"When will you leave?"

"Not for a while. I assure you, I do not intend on leaving anytime soon. There are many things I wish to do first. However," she begins carefully, "I think it would be best if I announce my departure in the upcoming days."

"Why?"

Starfire gives her a watery smile.

"So you are not surprised when I have gone."

* * *

There is grief, there is pain, and there is suffering. There is hope, there is longing, and there is wistfulness. As a Tamaranean, Starfire was especially adept at differentiating between the various emotions and their levels of intensity. She could separate happiness from joy by the slight shift in a smile, anger from fury by the fire in someone's eyes. She knew her friends inside and out and was able to read them better than most individuals.

So when she finally tells them of her decision to leave, she is unsurprised by their reactions.

Changeling's grin fades, ears drooping, eyes wide in shock. His mouth falls open, and she recognizes his expression. After all, it's not the first time they are losing a Titan.

Cyborg gapes, and she can see him trying to figure out why she's made this choice. A million questions are folded in his mouth, but he can't bring himself to ask them.

Nightwing's is the worst. His hands clench and unclench at his side, lips pressed in a straight line. He closes his eyes, and she knows he blames himself.

"It is my decision. We know our time as Titans has run its course. We have lives, we have loves-" she smiles at Cyborg, turning to face Raven, "we have needs that can no longer be fulfilled here. I believe my leaving is the next natural step."

"Where are you gonna go? When are you gonna go?" Changeling blurts, and Starfire feels a pang in her chest. She takes his hand in hers, promising silently she will not vanish, she will _not_ hurt him like Terra.

"Not for some time. I will travel Earth. There is much I have yet to experience," she pauses, glancing at Nightwing. "Afterwards, I may return to Tamaran."

She can see the shift in his expression when she says this, the pain drawn in at his lips, the rage in his stance. He knows the implication of her words. He knows that despite her abdicating the throne all those years ago, she can only return to her home planet as crown princess. He knows she can only reclaim that title through marriage.

He chokes down protests, anger, and guilt, among the words he can't bring himself to say: _I love you_.

"Is there anything we can do to convince you to stay?" Cyborg pleads, taking her other hand.

Starfire shakes her head.

"My mind has been made up, Victor. All I ask is that we spend some time together before I go."

Raven makes a strange noise and throws her arms around Starfire, burying her face in the crook of her neck.

"Raven? I-"

"Nobody says anything," she mutters, voice breaking. "I get this moment."

Starfire bursts into tears, and pulls away from the boys, folding her friend into her arms.

Cyborg and Changeling exchange a look and join the hug, squeezing so tight Starfire wonders if they are trying to prevent something from falling apart.

She looks at Nightwing and mouths the words he refuses to say, gesturing for him to come forward.

He shakes his head and points to the ceiling.

 _Rooftop_ he says, before leaving.

Starfire lingers in the embrace of her friends, memorizing the feel of Cyborg's cheek against hers, the tickle of Raven's hair on her neck, and the warmth of Changeling's hands. The lump in her throat grows larger and more threatening, swallowing her from the inside. She will miss this. She will miss this more than anything in her life.

Eventually Raven lets go and draws her hood back up, drying her eyes with her sleeve.

"I need to meditate." She says, phasing through the floor. Changeling rubs the back of his neck.

"I'd better check in on her," he says, pecking Starfire's cheek, "I love you, Star."

She notices the drag in his steps as he heads towards Raven's room, the door to the commons sliding shut. She hears a sniffle behind her and turns.

"Victor, I am sorry. Perhaps we can-"

"I'm gonna go work on the T-Car or something," Cyborg touches her shoulder and sighs. "Just need some time to work through this stuff." He starts towards the elevator before stopping. "We're really gonna miss you, y'know."

"I know." She says it so quietly, he wonders if he imagined her response.

She watches him leave before making her way to the roof, waiting behind the door. Sure enough, Nightwing opens it, cocking his head.

"Not very sneaky, Kori."

"I was not trying to be."

He nods and shuts the door as she floats towards the edge of the tower.

"You can still fly?" He asks in disbelief. She hides her smile, facing the burning sunset.

"There is only one thing that can truly take away my flight, Richard."

"Thing?"

"Person," she corrects, breathing in the ocean air. He laughs and moves closer to her, his fingers twitching beside hers. She feels them brush against her skin and rolls her eyes, taking his hand in hers.

"Still you hesitate," she muses.

"I'm slow on the uptake. Hey," he says, tilting her chin so she's facing him, "you aren't serious about leaving right?"

Starfire sighs and pushes his hand away.

"Richard-"

"Come on Kori, you're not really thinking about going. I mean...you and I both know what Tamaran means. You can't get married! You're-"

"Not taken," she cuts him off sharply, returning her gaze to the horizon. "As princess of Tamaran it is my duty to serve the people and honor the laws and traditions they uphold. If I must marry, I will do so. You have made it perfectly clear where we stand."

"So this is some sick form of revenge?" He growls. "I couldn't say the three magic words and now you're gonna make me lose you like some fucking punishment."

She glares.

"Be careful how you speak, Dick. You do not have me, it is none of your business what I choose to do with my life."

"Of course it is! It's my business because I-" He freezes, retracing his words, "I care for you...a lot. You're my best friend, you're one of the most important people in the world to me, I can't...you can't leave me too."

"Oh Richard," she sighs, her mouth forming a slow and sad smile, "I will never leave you. But this is what is best. And I cannot bear separation if you are to make it difficult for me."

He closes his eyes and hangs his head, opening his arms. Starfire drifts into his embrace, pressing her cheek to his neck. He buries his face in her hair and holds her, tightening his grip around her waist.

"How the hell could you expect me not to fight, Star?" Nightwing sounds so broken she feels something crack inside herself. "You know exactly what you mean to me, you _know_ I would give up everything I have for you-"

"Please, I do not wish to talk about this anymore. You have lost your chance," she says, her lips brushing his throat as she speaks.

"Don't say that."

Her eyes narrow.

"Are you prepared to admit your feelings for me and allow us to have a real relationship?" She says, loosening her hold on him. Nightwing shifts uncomfortably.

"Star-"

"I do not wish to hear it."

He wonders why he doesn't just say it. She knows it, he knows it, hell, everyone from Jump to Gotham seems to know it.

He feels a pang in his chest when he remembers.

" _My little robin," Mary Grayson squeezes her son, ruffling his hair._

" _Moooooom," he complains, stomping his foot, "I'm not a baby."_

" _You'll always be my baby," she coos, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "Richard, could you please pass me the blue ribbon over there? No, the other one- perfect. Thank you."_

 _He folds his arms on her dresser and watches her brush pink powder on her cheeks, draw lines of glitter on her eyes, and paint her lips red. She notices his wide-eyed gaze and grins, shaking the brush threateningly in his face._

" _You want some too?"_

 _He pokes out his tongue._

" _No, that stuff's gross."_

 _She laughs, and smacks her lips against his cheek._

" _I love you," she says, smiling as he tries to rub away the smear of red._

" _Bleh."_

He sees it happen in his head again. The lights flashing, a booming voice announcing their family act. He sees his mom shoot him a reassuring grin as she leaps, grabbing a hold of his father's arms. He hears them laughing as they reach for him, their grins going slack at the sound of a rope snapping.

Someone screams.

The next thing he sees is their broken bodies fifty feet below, outstretched like flightless birds.

Nightwing doesn't realize he's crying until he feels her wipe away a stray tear.

"Talk to me," she says, running her fingers under the edges of his mask. She peels the fabric away from his face and sits, tugging him down to join her.

"I can't."

"You cannot what?"

He gestures at her before putting his face in his hands, muttering something angrily.

She touches his shoulder.

"Richard, please. Tell me what is wrong." If she can see his shift in mood, she doesn't voice it. He runs a hand through his hair, looking anywhere but at her.

"I can't do...this. I can't do it, Star, I can't deal with you leaving."

Starfire hugs herself, drawing her knees to her chest.

"We have already discussed this."

"No, you made a choice, and you expected me to respect it and just...let go of you as if you mean nothing to me; like you mean nothing to the Titans."

"I need to have my space. I cannot run in circles with you time after time," she says quietly.

"Bullshit, Star! Don't you get it? You know how I feel. You think I go around kissing every pretty girl that comes my way or something?" He can feel his rage cresting, bubbling in his chest and spilling into his lungs. "I like the way things are with us, I like having you."

"You do _not_ have me." She says sharply, her eyes shining with green light. "Choose your next words carefully."

"You keep pushing me. You want something I can't give you. I can't tell you how I feel."

"Cannot or will not?"

"Both," he grinds out, "I'm not going to risk your life by pursuing a relationship with you."

"Why not? Why will being with you put me in any more danger than I already am in? I am a soldier, a warrior. I was raised for battle. This is who I am."

"Starfire-"

"My life will not be any safer with you in it, or with you out of it. We are heroes, Richard. We chose this life to make a difference, but that does not mean we must be so willing to sacrifice any chance of happiness we have."

He opens his mouth to respond but stops when she shoots him a chilling look.

"I wonder if it is me you are protecting and not your own feelings."

His heart sinks to his toes- she knows him too well.

Starfire takes his silence as a yes and scoots closer to him, so their thighs are touching.

"You are afraid of losing the people you care for and breaking." It's not a question.

Nightwing presses his forehead to hers and closes his eyes.

"Everyone I've ever loved is gone. I'm not losing you too." He sounds smaller than she could ever imagine him to be. She lets her fingers run through his hair.

"You have Barbara," she says quietly, "and Tim, and Bruce, and Alfred-"

"It's different. You know it's different. They know what they're doing, they can protect themselves."

"Even Alfred?"

He chuckles, and the sounds is music to her ears. He opens his eyes, fierce blue meeting her own watery green.

"Even Al."

They stay there for hours, wrapped up in the words he'd waited so long to say. She understood his hesitance. The pain that blocked his honesty was raw and heavy, and she could never blame him for the choice he made.

 _I love you._

Three words, unspoken in that order, hang in the air. He snuggles into her, his head resting in her lap as they stare up at the sky, tracing the distance from the stars to Tamaran. She strokes his hair gently, telling stories of the galaxy and legends of the goddess X'hal.

The sun rises far too early, and like that, another evening has been stolen from them. Starfire yawns, causing him to shoot up and berate her for not getting enough sleep. She shakes her head, amused by his over-protectiveness. She misses it already.

He gets it. He doesn't like it, but he gets her desire to leave. He's been itching to settle in his own city anyways- Blüdhaven is calling his name. But he can't seem to tear himself away from his second family, and he refuses to tear himself away from her.

She rises into the air and stretches, yellow beams of light licking at her skin, the ends of her hair catching fire.

"Morning flight?" She calls, letting the warmth of the sun flow through her fingertips.

He shakes his head.

"No, I'm gonna make us breakfast. You go on."

Her smile falters.

"Richard-"

"I'm okay," he says, reassuring her. "Just hungry. I'll see you soon."

Starfire floats down beside him and yanks him forward by the front of his uniform, studying him intensely.

"I will be back shortly," She says, releasing him from her grip, "I would like pancakes and tea."

"Your wish is my command, princess," he jokes, turning away.

"Wait-" she tugs his arm, pulling him towards her.

"What is it?"

She bites her lips, hesitating, before leaning in and kissing him. It's light and sweet, and in his opinion, over far too soon.

"I know I had said I was done, but I cannot spend the last of our time together being purely platonic."

He grins.

"What are you saying, Kori?"

"I wish to return to the making out now, please." She says meekly. Nightwing laughs and pulls her into his arms.

"Fine by me." He says, leaning in and attaching their lips. She responds fiercely, winding her arms around his neck. She's impossibly warm, her skin burning hotter in the places he touches. His fingers dance along her sides, drawing lines of green fire against her ribs.

"Kori," he mumbles, moving his hands to her hips, planting her rising feet firmly on the ground, "I think you need to go for that flight. Kill some energy."

She looks down and smiles.

"I think you are right. I shall see you later, Richard." She turns away and races to the edge of the tower, tossing herself into the air. She lets herself fall, twisting her plummeting body towards the earth. The wind whistles in her ears as she evens out the dive and shoots along the water, skimming its glimmering surface with her fingertips. Starfire sighs, drinking in the light. She's always loved the taste of Earth's sun. It flowed through her veins, it pulsed under her skin. She feels the energy swirling inside her, burning hot and fast as she surges through the air.

She glances back at the lone figure on the tower and feels a pang in her chest.

 _Soon._

* * *

The next weeks go by so fast, Gar nearly forgets she's leaving.

He spends more time at the Tower, playing video games with her, building elaborate concoctions in the kitchen, and marathoning space movies. She tells him about galactic warfare and alien politics. He teaches her fifty-six pranks.

He can't remember the last time he's been this content. He loves Raven, and every moment with her is great, but there's something incomparable to Starfire-time. Starfire-time means animal cuddles and junk food, jokes and slang, bad movies and long discussions. Starfire-time is a sister's love.

She's snoring on his shoulder quietly, red hair draped along the back of the sofa. The end credits of _Rise II: Undead Unleashed_ scroll down the screen silently, interrupted with the occasional blooper.

Gar leans his head on hers and switches off the TV, snuggling into the sofa. Victor is due to take over in a few hours.

Raven spends as much time as she can with her. She doesn't vocalize it often, but there's a deep pain that's eating her from the inside out. Gar only knows because of the looks she's been giving him, and the evenings she's invited him to her room to cuddle, burying her face in his chest. Her eyes are always dry, her face is always solemn, but there's something heartbreaking in the tightness of her grip.

Victor isn't much better. He drags Starfire out to the garage every chance he gets, planning his proposal with her as they work on the T-Car. They disappear to the gym every afternoon, blasting B.E.R and Diamond City so loudly, Gar swears he can hear the floors thump. Sarah comes by when she has the time and opts to spend it with Starfire, who fights it every step of the way.

"You should be spending these moments with Vic, not me." She insists, digging her heels into the floor. Sarah rolls her eyes and tugs her arm harder.

"I'll have plenty of days after this with him, it's you I want to share this one with."

Dick is breaking. He's more affectionate with Star these days, touching her shoulder, her hand, her waist. Gar sees him cracking under his boyish smiles, his lips turning down the second Starfire turns away.

There was a truth to what she said about leaving. He'd felt it too. Their family was growing up. Dick had been Nightwing for almost two years now. Vic was planning on proposing to Sarah. Gar wasn't sure where he and Raven are heading but he feels so strongly and so deeply, he doesn't care. Jump doesn't need them anymore- it hasn't needed them in a long time.

It was time for a new generation of Titans.

Starfire grumbles and moves out from under him, curling into the side of the couch instead. Gar shifts into a kitten and cozies himself into the crook of her arm. She runs her fingers through his fur soothingly and lets out a tiny yawn.

He watches her through slitted eyes, a purr rumbling through his body. He hears the doors to the hallway swish open and shut, a large figure making its way over the sofa. The figure seats himself next to Starfire's head, lifting her so she's positioned against his leg.

Gar buries himself deeper into her arm, enjoying the warmth she emits.

"Paws off," Nightwing warns jokingly.

Gar swipes at him playfully, hissing as he turns his face into her side.

"Little shit," Nightwing mutters, throwing his arm on the back of the sofa. Starfire stretches, arching her back before snuggling in his lap. He blushes and looks away, gaze falling on the smug green cat watching him from her arm.

"Shut up."

Gar meows loudly in response. Although they say otherwise, Dick and Kori were basically dating without dating. He could smell them on each other all day, Raven could read their euphoria after secret excursions. Victor had a read on their heartbeats when they were together and they were apart.

He wishes Dick would give in already. He's so in love with her, and she practically lives for him. They aren't kids anymore, and Gar knows she won't wait forever. Hell, that's probably a big part of why she's leaving.

Every so often, he swings by her room and peeks in, heart hammering with dread as he glances around. He's filled with relief when he sees her photographs on her dresser, closet half-open and filled with clothes, stuffed animals placed neatly on her bed. No packed boxes, no luggage waiting to be taken away.

He swallows the lump in his throat and keeps moving, keeps pretending he's accepted her decision. Gar knows it only pains her more to see them suffering.

There's a thump and he's shaken out of his thoughts, hissing as he lands on the floor.

"Gar? Richard?" Starfire asks groggily, rubbing the back of her head. Nightwing winces.

"Sorry, Kori," he says, taking her hand, "accidentally elbowed you."

She squints at him.

"What is the time?"

He shrugs.

"Four-thirty?"

Starfire shoots up, pulling her hair over her shoulder.

"I am late! Victor will be here any moment," she says frantically, weaving her red locks into a braid and tossing it over her shoulder. "I shall be back." She kisses Nightwing's cheek and reaches down to pat Gar's head before bolting to her room.

The green cat climbs back onto the sofa and shifts back, turning to face the man in black.

"Wanna tell me why you two are dancing around your feelings? Because let me tell you, dude, you aren't fooling anyone."

Nightwing rolls his eyes.

"We aren't-"

"Oh come on, 'wing, I can smell you two all over each other from a mile away." Gar smirks at the flush that creeps up his friend's neck.

"You're right," Nightwing conceded, throwing his hands up. He sighs, "Not like it matters anyways. She's still leaving. And she's right to."

"What? How can you say that?" The changeling's smile fades.

"All those reasons she told me…" he looks down at his hands, "Vic and Sarah, you and Rae. We're growing up. We're less active in Jump as it is, we have the luxury of settling down. Some of us do, at least. She wants to go out and see the world and she wants to do it on her own. I can't blame her for that. Not when she helped me make the switch, not when she's been researching Blüdhaven _knowing_ I want to go there someday. Plus, things have gotten quiet in the Tower. She's lonely." He says meaningfully.

Gar's mouth falls open.

"But...we're her family. She still has a place with us- if she says the word, we'd glue ourselves to the sofa and never leave."

"I know," Nightwing says heavily, "we'd do it in a heartbeat. But she doesn't want that."

"We're not just gonna let her go. We need her! _You_ need her."

"I know," he replies stiffly, curling his fingers into his palms, "and that's why we have to let her do it."

"Dick," Gar presses, voice thick with pain, "dude, there has to be something-"

"There isn't. We need to respect her choice."

They do. The next few weeks are a blur of activity. Victor pops the question and Sarah inevitably says yes and, to Starfire's delight, asks her and Raven to be bridesmaids alongside her sister and cousin. Gar and Raven share their first kiss. There's a blow-out goodbye party thrown- Bumblebee insisted once she caught wind of what Starfire was going to do. Lots of evenings spent snuggling into Richard's chest. He wraps her in his arms and holds _tighttighttight_ thinking maybe she can't escape his grasp.

She acts normal. Starfire laughs and giggles and soars. She spends a lot of time with Silkie, taking him for walks along the beach and through the park. Family dinners are her favorite- they eat out, they eat in, they order pizza and watch bad movies together. She revels in the closeness that suddenly exists and feels a sadness at the same time. It takes her leaving to pull them all together again. Raven keeps a lock on her emotions and senses nothing strange, just the same longing and happiness she's always broadcasted. She couldn't have stopped it anyways.

It's a Tuesday. Starfire and Nightwing rise at dawn and watch the glow of the sun come above the horizon. She blasts through the sky, bursting bright and green in the morning air. They have breakfast and train for an hour or two before he heads to the evidence room to pore over reports from the Titans East. Starfire meditates with Raven and plays video games with Changeling. She feeds Silkie and dances it out with Cyborg and his fiancee. She memorizes the routines, the sounds, the sights, the love that flutters through her when she's with them.

She's herself through dinner, giggly and cheerful as ever. She holds hands with Nightwing under the table and thinks _this is all I have ever asked for_. Cyborg and Sarah are the first to call it a night. He takes the T-Car out to drop her off, calling a little later to mention he's spending the night. Changeling wiggles his eyebrows, further inciting a bout of giggles from his floaty friend. Raven smacks him upside the head but smirks nonetheless, before claiming fatigue and retiring to her room. He grins and turns back to kiss Starfire's cheek before facing the empath.

"Night, mama," Changeling calls flirtatiously, bounding after her.

Nightwing and Starfire share a laugh before heading to his room. She's left a silk pair of pajamas on his bed, soft purple with a red dragon coiled at her hip- something she'd been gifted in Tokyo. He blushes as she changes, averting his eyes until she's fully dressed. She grins, taking her time as she slides her legs into the lavender shorts. Earthen modesty has always amused her. She lets him hold her. Lots of kissing, lots of touching. Patterns being made and stored away for some other time. He likes her little sighs and coos. She loves the way his lips curl into a smile as his fingers thread themselves in her hair. He buries his face in her neck and rubs his thumb behind her ear. She purrs. So much teasing ensues. He makes a note of that spot, reminds himself to tell Bruce in case Selina has something akin. _Ew, why am I thinking about Bruce right now._

She's very bold tonight. Lots of wandering hands and cheeky grins as her fingers dip a little too low before pulling back. He thinks he's going crazy.

It's sometime around one or two that they start to fall asleep. His chin is on her head, her cheek pressed against his collarbone. He thinks she's already out, so he doesn't hesitate to say in his sleepy haze.

"IluhyouStahr." He mumbles, pulling her closer to him.

He doesn't know it, but this is the moment everything changes. Her eyes flash open and she gasps, stilling in his arms. He's already drifted off, so he can't see the tears that come running down her face or the resoluteness in her expression when she pulls herself out of his bed, into the hall, and onto the floor of her room. She scrambles, throwing belongings into bags, kissing things she must leave behind. She keeps her communicator but breaks the transmitter first, removing the trackers from her gorget and the guards on her arms. Starfire flings open her dresser hurriedly and pulls out a stack of papers, setting them on her bed hastily. She presses her lips to the first five and scribbles something on them, folding them up and placing them on her duvet.

In less than an hour, she is gone.

 **END CHAPTER I**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thank you all for reading this and helping welcome me back to the world of fanfiction. This (and chapter 2) are the ONLY chapters of such obscene length, I promise to reign in my writing a bit more as it progresses.

First off, yeah, I referenced a whole bunch of stuff in this chapter: there is dialogue directly from _Trouble In Tokyo_ , a reference to the TTG episode "40%,40%,20%", Big Belly Burger from DCU's Arrowverse, and a few other Easter Eggs here and there.

Second, thank you to FanfictionBetas for connecting me with my lovely editor, Cas! This story would be way messier without your help, so thank you for everything thus far.

Finally, I'd like to talk a little bit about this story. Some things to know: weird timeline (which will be explained better in a later chapter), rated for language, content, violence, etc - might push an **M** rating at some point but that depends on what you guys want. This story has kept me going these last few months, and means a lot to me, so please, please, **please** share your thoughts with me! Thank you again, and happy reading!

Until next time,

 **Z. R. Coeur**


	2. Chapter 2

A/M: Gonna keep this brief, but first, thank you all for your kind words! I'm glad you guys seem to be enjoying this story thus far. Please note the **time skip** in this chapter - five years since we left off. Those five years will be explained in due time.

Big thanks to my fabulous beta, Cas. I wouldn't be here without you!

Now, without further ado...

 _Chapter II_

" _Favorite food?"_

" _Guuraktak._ _It is a large bird native to Southern Tamaran."_

" _Ah. How about Earth stuff?"_

" _I do enjoy the cotton candy."_

" _Haha, me too. Alright, your turn."_

 _She adjusts her position, leaves rustling on the ground beneath her._

" _Who was your first kiss?"_

" _Er...pass."_

" _You cannot use your pass," Starfire says gleefully, rolling over onto her stomach, "you used that three questions ago."_

 _She's right, as usual. They've been playing this game for about an hour now. It had started out as a way to stave off their hunger while Victor manned the grill, but now, plates licked clean and set aside, they still couldn't seem to stop._

 _He and Starfire are hidden from view, stretched out on the earth beneath the sky. Bushes and trees surround their little pocket of green, keeping the outside world away from view._

 _Robin blushes._

" _Starfire-"_

" _You must do the telling! It is the rule of the game, correct?"_

 _He turns his head and mumbles something under his breath that she can't quite hear._

" _Please speak up, Robin."_

 _He glares at her, "Evil. Pure evil."_

 _She giggles, propping herself up on her elbows, "I am waiting."_

" _It was you."_

 _She cocks her head, "That is not true, Batgirl told me-"_

 _Robin shakes his head. "If we exclude mistletoe and kisses before puberty, which I do, the answer is you."_

" _Are you referring to the language transference or Tokyo?" Starfire asks quietly, moving so her legs are folded beneath her._

 _He hesitates and looks away, "Both, I guess. But the first time was more jarring than anything else so Tokyo, I suppose. That was my first real kiss."_

" _It has been almost a year now, has it not?"_

" _Yeah, I think so. Anyways, it's my turn now, so-"_

" _Robin," she says softly, forcing him to meet her eyes again, "you have not changed your mind?"_

Damndamndamn, _he thinks to himself, pushing himself off the ground. "Star, you know why we can't."_

" _And you will not kiss me?" Starfire says mournfully, twisting her fingers in her lap. Robin gulps._

" _Uh- well, you see...I don't...ah- we shouldn't-" he stammers, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly._

" _I see," she replies sadly. He snatches her wrist and threads his fingers through hers._

" _Star-" Robin takes a breath, "it's not that I don't want to. But we've had this conversation before. A hero...it's all I can be right now. And as the leader, I need to put the team first, no matter how I might feel for whoever."_

" _I understand, Robin. I apologize for bringing it up."_

" _I- ah, screw it," he says, grabbing her by the back of the neck and pulling her towards him. It's messy. All teeth and tugging amid bumping noses. It takes them a moment to find their balance- he relinquishes control and she loosens her grip. They part to breathe before leaning back in, little pecks and swipes of tongue before long, languish kisses._

 _He pulls away first, and smiles at her dreamy expression._

" _Someone's cheery." He says, watching her rise into an upside down float beside him._

" _I believe that is from being completely and thoroughly kissed," she replies with a smile, though it fades quickly when she speaks next. "Robin, I thought-"_

" _Can we just enjoy this? For a moment?" He strokes her cheek with his thumb and reaches for her hand, tugging her down to Earth. "We aren't Titans, we aren't heroes, we have no responsibilities, no place to be."_

 _She bites her lip and draws her hand away, curling her fingers in her lap.  
"I do not think-"_

" _Starfire," he pleads, pressing his forehead against hers. She stares into his mask, and he can't help but think he's the scummiest thing on the planet for doing this to her. She wants him, she_ loves _him, and he knows it. He can see her eyes darting to his mouth and her resolve fading quickly._

 _He loves her too. He always has. But then again, that was no secret._

 _He tilts his head and moves slowly, waiting for her to pull away._

" _Tell me how you feel," she says quietly. Robin freezes._

" _I thought it was my turn to ask the question." He jokes, scratching his chin, "Where to start?"_

 _He tilts her face towards his and smiles._

" _I think your starbolts are awesome," he begins, inciting a small smile from her, "You're kind and I love the way you talk. You're powerful and beautiful and so strong. You're my best friend."_

" _You are stalling," she replies._

" _Maybe," he shrugs, "but it's all true. Isn't that what matters?"_

 _He can see his words running through her head, and_ oh god, she shouldn't have to choose between love and friendship, she deserves better _running through his._

" _Well?" She says after a moment._

" _Yeah?"_

" _Are you going to kiss me?"_

 _Relief floods him as he leans in and captures her lips. She responds with equal fervor, gripping his shirt to pull him closer._

 _In this moment, he is everything._

 _He is always everything._

* * *

Someone is shaking her. Two hands press against her shoulders and jostle her gently, a voice calling her name persistently.

She grumbles something in Tamaranean and scooches out of reach.

"Kori," the voice says exasperatedly, "wake up, _mera't._ You are dreaming."

" _Nau."_ She feels someone move beside her, an arm being thrown over her waist and bringing her into the body.

"Wife," he says playfully, "the day has begun. We have things to do."

"Go bother Kayl'ahr," she bites back, "she will do the giving of it to you."

"You are no fun."

"You did not marry me because you thought I was fun."

"I am well aware."

" _Vosutu."_

" _Klaraavag."_

" _Clorbag."_

" _Ayekta'r."_

"Asshole," she snarls, turning over to face him. She rubs her eyes blearily and sighs. He cocks his head.

"Ass-hole? You have not taught me this one yet."

"I shall never tell you what it means. Come," she floats from the bed and stretches, the light of Vega's sun tickling her skin, "as you said, the day has begun." She throws open her balcony doors and rises into the air, arms outstretched, palms facing the sky. She shimmers, the ends of her hair catching fire in the morning glow.

"I think I shall shower and find Kayl'ahr. As _you_ said, she will do the giving of it to me." He teases, slipping out of the sheets.

She glances over her shoulder and rolls her eyes, "Do not be late for _Okyrr, vosutu."_

" _Re'kalia,_ Koriand'r." His exit is punctuated by the shutting of their door.

Starfire shakes her head, smiling as delicious energy flows through her veins. Karras has been a good husband these last few years.

It wasn't out of love. He knew this, she knew this. Their hearts were taken by others, both by people they could never truly have. Kayl'ahr, remarkable and beautiful, knew the limitations of her relationship with Karras too well. She knew he had obligations as a member of the noble class and supported him when he married Kori. Their love never dimmed, and neither did the fire of their relationship. Kori and Kayl often joked of sharing the man in different aspects. The arrangement suited Karras just fine- he had gained a wife and best friend in one woman, and an eternal love in the other.

It was different for Kori. When she had arrived on Tamaran two years ago, she'd nearly exhausted all her energy. She had stumbled into the palace with a pain in her chest and her flight compromised. The first night away had been the worst.

Galfore had done his best to fend off the more ruthless politicians on Tamaran, but in the end he bowed his head and solemnly announced that the Princess Koriand'r could not remain on Tamaran unless she was matched to a male of high stature. Thus, Karras entered the picture.

They were a strong pair; powerful warriors paralleled in wit and humor, with the same good-nature. He was bold and certain of himself, flirtatious and compassionate. She blazed with a deep fire in her heart and soul.

They were married at moonset days later, and truthfully, Kori could not have been more thankful. Karras understood her pain, and held her while she cried. He roused her when she turned in the night and pushed her to grow.

Yes, he has been a wonderful partner these last two years.

A sharp rap at the door interrupts her thoughts.

"Yes?" She calls, drifting back to the floor. She snatches a robe from off her dresser and ties it around herself.

"Princess Koriand'r."

"Oh, _vosutu,_ did it take you so little time? I thought you to have more stamina." She calls, tugging the knot on her robe loose, "I am decent."

"I was not asking if you were decent, that is no concern of mine," he says with a grin, shutting the door behind him, "I wanted to propose something to you."

"Oh?"

He nods, "Please sit down."

"Very well," she floats into a lotus position before him, folding her hands in her lap.

"Koriand'r, when was the last time you sent or received a transmission from Earth?"

"Karras-"

"Just answer, Kori."

She sighs. "Six months. Lilith and Arella were born."

He nods and takes her hand. "The dreams have become worse. You must go back."

"I cannot. I have a duty to our people."

Karras shakes his head. "You owe them nothing. If you will not do this for yourself, do it for your _bumgorfs._ The lives you have yet to meet."

"They are merely dreams, I do not think-"

"You refuse to see the physician, you have not slept a proper night of sleep since you arrived on this planet- I have reason to be concerned, _mera't._ They are your family. You need this."

"I have obligations here."

"Obligations that can wait. I have already discussed the matter with the Grand Ruler and he thinks it's best- no, stop giving me that look, I needed him on my side. Emperor Galfore agrees with me and we are prepared to take on your responsibilities for as long as necessary."

Starfire bites her lip and turns away, twisting her hands, "I…"

"Kori," he says, touching her shoulder. Karras leans in and nuzzles her neck gently, winding his arms around her.

"When shall I leave?" She says weakly, leaning into his embrace.

He grins, "As soon as possible. Galfore has already decided to postpone _Okyrr."_

" _Okyrr?_ But what about-"

"She is also okay with it."

Starfire purses her lips, "I do not like the thought of my family conspiring against me."

"It is for your own good. Now, you must begin packing."

Her lip quivers before breaking into a bright smile, Starfire throws her arms around her husband, pressing her face into his chest.

" _Re'kalia,_ Karras. You truly are the best thing to happen to me here."

He pats her back gently, before releasing her from his hold.

"I shall make Galfore aware of this decision."

Starfire nods and floats off the bed, watching him exit before seating herself at her vanity. She opens a drawer and pulls out a silver plexus, setting it in front of her.

"Authorization Koriand'r B08," she commands.

" _Welcome Koriand'r. You have sixteen unread messages."_

She blinks. "Sixteen? I was certain…no, it does not matter. Display all unread transmissions."

The transmission log appears on the screen before her.

" _Message from Cyborg T02. Received twenty-four cycles ago. Message from Cyborg T02. Received twenty-two cycles ago. Message from Raven T04. Received twenty-two cycles ago. Message from Changeling T05. Received twenty-one cycles ago. Message-"_

"Begin with transmission one."

She spends the next few hours with her trunk open on her bed, listening as six months of missed talk fill the air.

" _Hey girl! We've been missin' you lots over here. Tim especially. Sarah found some new stores downtown she wants to hit up with you. What else...hmm...Didja hear about Bee? She and Herald are hopin' you'll be here for the wedding. It's not for a while but you've been off the radar so we wanted to check in see how things are goin'. How's Blazin-B? We're all glad to hear you two are doing well. Keep us posted on what happens."_

" _Starfire, I married an idiot, come and save me please. You need to meet Lilith and Arella, you need to meditate with me, and I need- for Azar's sake, Gar, if you don't shut up I swear to god-"_

" _Starbae-by come back to meeeee. Rae's all moody lately and she won't give me any kitten cuddles. The girls though, they're fantastic, all snuggly and warm. You're going to love them. Got any plans to drop by? Our house is always free. Unless, y'know, there's someplace else you're planning on crashing….wiiiink."_

" _Hi Kori. It's me. Well, of course it's me, it wouldn't make sense if it wasn't….uh, anyways, we haven't heard from you in a while and we're all kinda worried. I'm kinda worried. Can you drop me a line at some point? You know how to reach me."_

"I'd say that suitcase is half-empty," a familiar voice says, cutting through the message.

Starfire looked up from her packing and smiled, halting the transmission.

"I would argue that it is half-full."

"You always were the optimist, sister dear," Blackfire says with a grin, leaning against the door. "So you're leaving?"

"Tonight. I am sorry, Kom, I did not mean to postpone the _Okyrr_."

Blackfire shrugs and moves towards the bed, bouncing on it lightly. "I'm a little relieved. I think I need more time to prepare anyways."

Starfire shakes her head, "No, you are ready. You have been ready for quite some time. I am not opposed to staying until it is finished."

"You need this, Kori. _Okyrr_ will still be here when you come back. And I'll be even better prepared when you do."

"I feel bad about going."

"You and your guilt," Blackfire rolls her eyes, "even when we were children, you took the blame for everything...not that I left you with much choice. You need to chill, sis. Go see the demoness and her litter. Visit your metal man. Pinch Nightwing's ass for me, will ya?"

"Komand'r!" Starfire exclaims, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Hey, I know when to appreciate a good butt, and that is one _good_ butt."

"You are shameless."

"Yeah, well you could stand to be a little more shameful. Listen, Kori," she suddenly turns serious, taking her sister's hand, "you have to promise me something."

"Anything."

"Talk to him. Don't come back without your heart."

Starfire's smile vanishes, "What?"

"You heard me. You left it behind once. We can't bear to see you do it again." She hesitates, before wrapping her sister into a warm hug, "I gotta go. Things to do, people to argue with. Come home when you're ready, Kori." Blackfire kisses her cheek and lets go, leaving as quickly as she had come.

Starfire sighs and sets her half-packed luggage aside.

"Resume transmission thirteen," she says, crawling across her bed to curl up near the headboard.

" _-naming you and Victor as godparents to Lilith, and Sarah and Dick as godparents to Arella. Gar felt like mixing and matching, I suppose. The official ceremony is going to be sometime in February...Herald offered to bring the whole network in. He's even willing to stop by Tamaran and pick you up if you decide to come. Check in with us soon, please. It's been months and I'm really worried. I promise to unleash hell throughout the galaxy and come charging through the universe with my babies in tow if you don't say something in the next few weeks. I'm serious, Starfire. End of transmission."_

The message is dated four weeks ago. Starfire bites her lip as the next transmission begins..

" _Okay, so it's been two weeks and I'm getting a little anxious. Where are you? I can feel you're alive, I'm not worried about that, but Starfire, please, anything. End of transmission."_

" _Starbae, it's your boy, Gar. Rae is going into overdrive, freaking the hell out. I've calmed her down as best as I can and all, but the only thing that'll fix this is an actual response from you. I don't wanna guilt you or anything but the naming rituals need to be completed within the next few months...we can't wait forever, but we don't wanna do shit- ah, crap, swear jar. Whatever, we don't wanna do things without you there, 'kay? Dick asked me to tell you that Silkie misses his momma-"_ Her heart swells at his words, a faint flush creeping to her cheeks, " _Talk soon. Love ya! End of Transmission."_

" _I guess it's my turn. Rae and Gar are freakin' out a bit, asked me to shoot you a message. Everything okay? We tried talking to Galfore and checking in, but he was tight lipped about things. Said some guy named Karras could explain better than he, but wouldn't elaborate. Blackfire wasn't available to talk either-"_

Starfire frowns. Galfore hadn't told her of this.

" _-just decided to try reaching out to you instead. I dunno if you lost track of time out there but it's almost the end of January here. The party's in about a month. See if you can make it, please? We're missin' you lots, girl. And I mean all of us. Mr. Broody-and-Moody included. Tim, Bruce, Alfred, Babs- even Jason, though he mostly talks about wantin'...uh, nevermind. Anyways, come soon. Sarah sends her love. End of transmission. You have 0 messages remaining."_

"What is the time stamp on message sixteen?"

" _Transmission sixteen, received one cycle ago."_

Starfire sighs. Six months of silence on her end; six months of messages unheard and unanswered. In short, Raven was going to kill her.

"Open new transmission. Direct to Cyborg T02, Raven T04, Changeling T05, Nightwing-" she pauses, blinking back tears, "B03, Nightwing T01. Record. Hello friends! I apologize for my lack of correspondence. Things here have been difficult and I have not given much attention to my plexus as of late. I am looking to return to Earth in the next few weeks. Karras, my...friend, Galfore, and Blackfire send their best wishes. I hope to see you soon. Uh...oh...pause. Delete transmission." Starfire slumps over, groaning.

"Open new transmission. Direct to Batman B01. Record. Greetings _k'norfka_ Bruce. I hope everyone is- agh, delete transmission. Open new transmission. Direct to...Raven T04. I'm sorry I haven't been in touch with you lately, Raven- ah, _torglorf_ ," she curses, deleting the message. "Nothing is good enough." She reaches for the plexus and deactivates it, stowing it in the side pocket of her trunk.

"Perhaps I should forgo the message and just hurry back," she mumbles, floating over to her closet to finish packing.

* * *

 _This is a dream. She knows this is a dream. She's dreamt it many times before._

 _It's always the same._

 _It begins with the letter. Well actually, no - it begins with a nightmare._

 _She's snuggled up in Gar's arms, gazing at him as he drifts off, something calm settles over the tower. She feels love, strong, powerful love piercing the room. There's happiness and bliss, and a touch of longing. Warm hope blossoms in the air. It wraps around her and bundles her tight, seeping through her body. It's not from her; these aren't her emotions, but she's too content to care. She drifts off, blanketed with that beautiful peace._

 _She dreams lazily. She sees colors and hears sounds but nothing solid comes to her vision. She's swimming in those heavenly emotions._

 _The change is harsh._

 _At some point, something sharp and cold slices through everything. She's engulfed in fire and ice, red eyes, biting pain, her heartbeat swallowing her whole. She struggles, swept away by it's forceful waves. She screams and thrashes, waving her arms blindly in the sudden dark._

 _Then all at once, it stops._

 _Raven shoots up in bed, gasping for air. Her chest feels both hollow and thick, melted and frozen._

 _Gar holds her steady, asking her over and over if she's okay. She shakes her head and stumbles out of bed, falling onto the floor. She is trembling, blood rushing in her head so loudly she can barely hear his concerns._

" _Raven, what's wrong? You gotta talk to me, breathe, Rae. Not gonna lie, you're freaking me out a bit here...no, wait, not like 'freaky', like, you're worrying m-"_

" _Garfield," she interrupts him, clutching at his sleeve, "it's Starfire."_

 _His face grows pale. "What? What happened?"_

" _I don't know, I just feel cold all over and I know something's wrong."_

" _Calm down, Star's okay, I'm sure she is."_

" _She's not in the tower. I can't sense her anywhere, Gar, there's just pain...so much pain."_

" _Okay, okay. Let's check her room, see what's up. I'll get Vic."_

 _The hallway feels infinite. Raven makes her way to Starfire's room and hesitates, feeling the same inky cold sweep over her. The door slides open, a chilly gust of air breezing by._

 _She feels a pulsing ache when she enters. Broken fragments of a communicator on the floor, purple envelopes strewn about. Her closet is empty, her vanity is bare. The window is open._

 _There are stacks of lavender arranged neatly on the bed. Her eye catches the one embossed with her name in glimmering, loopy scrawl._

" _No," she breathes, sinking to the floor, "No, no, no, no , no."_

 _The room spins, the door behind her sliding open and she hears their collective gasps._

" _Oh god."_

" _She's gone," Raven whispers, fumbling with the seal on the envelope. Victor and Garfield crouch beside her, settling their arms around her shoulders._

" _She just...left?" Gar wonders aloud, voice breaking. Vic says nothing, eyes trained on the letter in her hands. Footsteps sound down the hall, a shadow falling over their kneeling bodies._

" _Guys, have you seen Starfire? I can't find her anywhe-" Dick freezes, surveying the scene before him. He strides over to her bed wordlessly, snatching up a letter._

 _Raven sobs, the paper falling from her hand. She brings her hands to her chest and doubles over, crying out._

" _Rae, babe, you gotta talk to me," Gar shakes her frantically, casting Vic a worried glance._

" _It hurts…it hurts so bad. Azar, Dick, is this you?"_

 _When he turns to face them, he's blank._

" _I need to be alone."_

 _This is the storm. It twists inside her chest, burning white-hot._

 _Fire creeps up her sides, scorching her lungs. Her vision goes red. Black energy swirls from her arms in thick waves of smoke._

" _Baby girl, you need to calm down-" Victor pulls his hands away from her cautiously._

" _Raven!" Gar pleads._

" _I'm sorry," she chokes out, screeching as a jolt of pain twists through her spine._

Raven shoots up in bed, drawing the sheets up to her chest. Something nudges her hip gently, a hand coming to her waist.

"Babe?" His thumb makes circles on her exposed skin soothingly, coaxing her to lie down. She settles her fingers on his and sighs.

"It's nothing, Gar. Nightmare."

"Wha' about?" Her husband mumbles, lifting his head from the pillow.

"Same as usual. Go back to sleep."

"C'mere," he holds his arms open, waiting for her to settle in his embrace, "s'okay, Rae, I'll send her another message, we'll see where things are at."

"Okay...you're right. We should get some rest before the girls wake up."

"Mhmmm...love you."

"Love you too."

She tries, she really does. She closes her eyes and shifts till she's comfortable. She breathes her mantra in and out, tracing figure eights on her thigh.

Five years change some things far too much.

Raven remembers it like it was yesterday. The letters Starfire had left. The sudden loneliness that came over their home. They'd been quiet in the weeks following her disappearance. Dick became withdrawn, Victor moved out, Gar began looking at careers outside of heroics.

The first message came four months after she left. A big box filled with gifts, trinkets, pictures, letters she had chosen not to send. Raven never read the letters Starfire had left for Dick, but after he read them, things felt okay. They fell back into a rhythm of sorts. The boxes came every two weeks, covered with stamps from all over the world. Victor and Sarah were busy planning their wedding and juggling their new jobs; he was a consultant at Star Labs and a potential recruit for the JLA intel team, she was a full-time social worker. Gar was taking classes at Jump City University, assisting at a local veterinary office when he could. Raven had enrolled in a nursing program. Dick and Bruce were finally discussing Blüdhaven.

Nightwing started showing up out there, his presence with the Titans becoming more and more infrequent as time passed. Meanwhile, supermodel Kori Anders was seen on the arm of Dick Grayson more than once. Galas, fashion shows, coffee shops, carnivals- the two insisted they weren't dating, but no one could deny the obvious connection between them.

Raven was happy for them. She knew the separation was devastating for both, and that this was a temporary fix, but the way Dick's eyes lit up around the Tamaranean girl was too rare for her to risk with words of caution. Life had somehow straightened itself out. A new generation of heroes was rising, being trained under the leadership of Victor and the others. Dick transferred to Blüdhaven as the newest member of their police force, fulfilling the role of Junior Detective Grayson. Gar's career began to take off, Vic signed on as an official member of the Justice League. Things were good. It stayed that way for another two years.

Eight months after Raven and Gar were married, Starfire vanished again.

That was when the dreams started. Night after night, she played it in her mind. The night she found the letters. The night the Titans fell apart.

The night she felt the universe splinter.

The ending was always different. There were times when the room caught fire, dreams where Gar and Victor vanished before her eyes. Sometimes Starfire came floating through the window, crying that it was all a mistake. Other nights Raven could see her broken body shattered along the shores of the island. The dreams tugged at her chest and stole her air.

She had only ever felt so helpless when her father was in control.

Trigon was another thing. Sometime after her wedding, Raven felt him bubbling beneath her skin. He clawed into her heart and ate away at her resolve. She was quick on the uptake this time- her rage had gotten the best of her before, and she knew she was vulnerable without her family beside her. She called everyone. Vic, Sarah, Dick, and Kori pulled out all the stops and traveled with her to Azarath, where they spent two and a half weeks rebonding and drowning out the anger with other feelings. A priestess of Azarath offered to counsel them on their futures.

Raven believes this is the moment that really destroyed it all.

In all their talk of fate and destiny, Kori's smile dropped. She never talked about it, but it was obvious she was uncertain of her path. The only thing she'd ever truly known was the Titans. Everything else was baby steps and bad memories.

Which is why Raven wasn't surprised when Starfire told her she was leaving for Tamaran.

"Babe, you still up?" Gar asks sleepily, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Couldn't sleep," she replies drily, rubbing her eyes, "What time is it?"

He rolls over to glance at the old Mumbo clock beside the bed. "Too early."

"Perfect. We can get a jump start on the girls."

"Raeeeee." He whines.

She swats his arm away and throws back the covers, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"I'm gonna go shower."

Gar groans, burying his face into his pillow.

She raises an eyebrow. "I was going to say it might be faster if you joined me but if you aren't up for it…" she shrugs, hiding a smirk as she turns away and heads to the bathroom.

Moments later, her husband has his arms around her, lips against her neck.

"That was mean."

"Don't care," she says tartly, tugging off her top. "No funny business. The girls will be up soon and I don't want you to start something we won't finish."

He follows her into the shower with a grin. "Finishing has never been a problem."

She rolls her eyes and yanks him forward. "Idiot," she mutters, before attaching their lips.

* * *

"Hello?"

"'Sup G."

"Dude! Long time no talk, what's up? How's Sarah?"

"She's great, really busy with a new case right now though. Raven?"

"Perky and bubbly as ever."

"How about my little godkiddos?"

"Well, your goddaughter is doing fine. Sarah's has a little cold."

"Awwww. I say you sign them all over to me."

"Take it up with the missus, bro."

"I will. So I was wondering if y'all had any plans tonight? I'm thinkin' about calling Dick and having everyone over for dinner. I know it's short notice but-"

"No way, dude, we're totally free. What time?"

"Six sound good? Spend the night, we've got plenty of space."

"I'm down."

"Awesome. See you then, man."

"Bye, Vic."

"Bye."

Victor grins, turning to his wife.

"Two down, one to go. You wanna make the case to Dick?"

Sarah takes the phone and smiles. "Only because he's more likely to listen to me. You sure this is a good idea? They didn't exactly part on good terms."

"It's been three years, they need this. He has to see her again."

"You're such a romantic."

"'S why you married me, right?"

She pecks his cheek, dialing the number. "One of many reasons."

Six hours earlier, Victor received a message which he would later dub 'the call that started it all'.

The console on his arm had beeped loudly, pulling him out of his automated sleep cycle. Sarah shifted beside him as he roused and stepped into the hall to answer.

"This is Victor," he said groggily, waiting for his processors to catch up.

"It's Clark. We need you at the Watchtower."

"Now? What happened?"

He could hear the hesitation in Superman's voice when he answered. "It's...complicated. Just know that we need you here to deal with it as soon as possible."

"On my way, man. Be there in twenty" Vic assured him, glancing at the door.

"Thanks, I owe you one. Superman, out."

"Everything okay?" Sarah asked when he returned.

Victor nodded, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Supes needs me to drop by the Watchtower. Doesn't sound like anything dangerous though. Keep an eye on the kids, make sure they don't get up to anything stupid. Tim is in charge."

"I know. Let me know when you get there."

"Will do. I love you," Vic casts her one last look before turning to leave the bedroom.

"Love you too."

When Vic had signed on with the Justice League, he'd been placed in charge of the Titan Network. Sarah cancelled the lease on their apartment and started moving their belongings back into the Tower. Kids like Tim Drake, Conner Kent, M'gann, and Bart Allen were recruited and settled into their own rooms. Within weeks, the Teen Titans were reborn.

They made a good team. There were the 'typical roommate stuff' fights that Victor fondly remembered from his own days as a Titan. Undeniable attraction between Conner and M'gann, reminiscent of Robin and Starfire back then. Tim worked hard as the new leader, keeping the peace between Bart and Artemis when she arrived. As their numbers grew, it became apparent that a single base was not enough. Thus, the Titan's East was recreated. Virgil Hawkins, Raquel Ervin, Cassie Sandsmark, Hank Hall, and Dawn Granger were trained under Karen Beecher and Donna Troy before being assigned to Steel City. It was heartwarming to see the network expand into the incredible unit it once was. Older and retired heroes came forth to assist with training the younger ones- Flash, Jinx, Tempest, Herald, and Bumblebee among the more frequent visitors.

Vic spent most of his days working with the Titans in Jump, helping them with cases and teaching them how to perform efficiently and successfully. The rest of the time was with his family. Raven and Garfield usually had them all over for dinner a few times a month, more often after she became pregnant. Victor was called up to the Watchtower on occasion, usually to assist with minor issues and logistics.

Judging by the tone of Clark's voice, this was not one of those visits.

The JLA Watchtower was more than just a command center for universal proceedings. It was a secure base, equipped with a boom-tube, several escape pods, aquarium, armory, medical lab, training facilities, two dormitories, four kitchens, a wide selection of organic and inorganic replicators, and, of course, the Hall of Justice. It was menacing in stature, a beacon of hope to those on Earth and a warning to those who threatened it.

Vic shimmers in via boom-tube, stepping into the Ops Center.

"Clark?" He calls out, glancing around for signs of the Kryptonian man.

The doors across from him swish open, Superman floating in with a smile.

"How've you been, Victor?"

"Doin' well, man, thanks. You?"

"Could be worse. I might be, actually, if a certain demoness gets a hold of me."

Vic's brow furrows. "Raven? Why would she-"

"You're about to find out why. Follow me." Superman gestures for him to follow as he turns around and enters the main hallway.

"About an hour ago, we were notified of a breach in our defenses- someone snuck past and managed to enter Justice League jurisdiction without permission," he explains.

"Alright, so? You need me to upgrade security or somethin'?"

"Not exactly. I'm getting there- we contacted the spacecraft and instructed them to land in the hangar so that we could figure out who they were, what their intentions were, and why they were so close to Earth," He pauses before the door to the common room, turning to face the cybernetic man. "Victor, I called you because I think you're the best person to handle this...and make accommodations where they're needed."

"Uh, alright, I'll see what I can do?"

Superman smiles slightly. "It's a good thing, I promise."

The doors slide open, revealing a room void of activity, save for one individual on the couch. She's dressed in Earthen clothing, red hair drawn back in a ponytail, sitting cross-legged with a silver and purple screen in her hand. Superman makes his way to the kitchen silently, while Vic observes the girl.

"I have made it safely, Karras, you need not wor- yes, I am aware you have every right to be concerned, which is why I called to inform you of my... _X'hal_ you are worse that Kom. I am going to be traveling to Earth soon, do not expect any transmissions for at least one cycle," the woman said exasperatedly, drawing her communicator away from her ear, "Yes, I promise. Karras! I am hanging up on you. _Re'kalia, vosutu."_

Victor's eye widens as she snaps the device shut, muttering something under her breath. She sighs and turns to face them, eyes fixed on the floor.

"I apologize, Clark, I did not mean to-"

"Starfire?"

She lifts her head in shock. "Vic?"

He grins as she throws herself into his arms, sweeping her into a bear hug. She presses her nose against his neck and tightens her grip on him.

"What are you doing here?" He exclaims, releasing her from his hold. His hands remain on her hips, her arms resting on his shoulders.

She smiles. "Coming home," she says, leading him to the couch. A purple trunk paired with several bags sits beside the coffee table, her Titan uniform placed neatly atop the set.

"Stayin' for good this time?" Vic asks, taking a seat beside her, accepting the mug of coffee Superman passes to him. Clark nods before exiting the common room.

Starfire shakes her head. "No, not yet. There are affairs I must set in order on Tamaran. There are people I must consider on both worlds. Blackfire, Galfore-"

"Karras?" He prompts, watching her face carefully.

She blushes. "All of them are very dear to me. But on Earth, I have a home."

"How long are you here for then?"

"As long as it takes for me to determine whether or not I am truly needed."

Vic blanches. "What?"

"I have done some hard thinking and I do not believe I should relocate without good reason."

"Family, Star! What better reason is there?"

She purses her lips, playing with the zipper of her hoodie. "It would not be wise for me to stay unless everyone was okay with it."

"Is this about Dick?" Victor's eyes narrow.

She smiles sadly. "Is is not always? You know as well as I do that a Tamaranean's love is eternal. It does not falter, nor does it break. It will not be fair to him or me if I come back with such expectations. Can you tell me with complete certainty that he feels the same for me?"

"Absolutely."

Starfire tilts her head. "Truly?"

"He's had one girlfriend since you left, Star, and that was a three month attempt with Babs."

"Babs? But is she not-"

"Married, yeah, got hitched a month or two after the babies came. My point is, he's been waitin'."

"Victor, there are still many things we must discuss. I must inform you of things on Tamaran, things that may change circumstances."

"Alright, go ahead."

She twists her fingers and hesitates. "I believe it should wait until everyone is present."

"Let's go then. You can crash with me and Sarah, meet the new network, say hello to Tim and all of the kids."

Her eyes brighten, a smile lighting up her face. "Truly?"

Vic rises from the sofa, slinging a few of her bags over his shoulder.

"C'mon, lil' lady. You have some people to see."

* * *

Sarah is overjoyed to find the pair in the living room, flipping through pictures from lost times.

Vic glows with happiness, a different kind of elation that Sarah hasn't seen since Starfire left.

She joins them, cuddling between her husband and sister as they reminisce on the past.

Sarah is the one to bring up a Titan Dinner. She bounces excitedly, tugging Vic into the kitchen while the exhausted alien dozes on the sofa.

"Think of how surprised they'll be!" She insists, smacking the house phone into his palm. He mumbles something about Raven, surprises, and explosions, earning him a flick in the ear. Victor dials the number, smiling when his best friend's voice comes through the receiver.

"Two down, one to go," he tells Sarah triumphantly, "you wanna make the case to Dick?"

She rolls her eyes but takes the phone and calls him anyways, glancing over at Starfire every so often.

"BPD, Junior Detective Grayson speaking."

"Dick? It's Sarah," she says.

"Long time no talk, Mrs. Stone. How's it going? What's up?" She can hear the smile in his voice as he talks.

"Everything's great! I was just wondering if you're free tonight? Vic and I have something to show you all, so we invited Raven and Gar over for a sleepover and were hoping you could make it too?"

Dick hesitates. "What time?"

"Six-ish. But you can come late if you need to. I promise I won't let the boys guzzle all of the food."

"Well...alright, I'll be there. Gotta go, Chief's debriefing us on the Weaver-Cardinal case. See you later."

"Bring Silkie! Bye," She ends the call and sets the phone on the countertop.

"That was easy," Sarah says, sticking her tongue out at her husband, "now, what's for dinner, Chef Victor?"

"Uh-uh, I ain't cookin right now. We're ordering pizza, renting a flick, and makin' Gar bring dessert."

"Right," she says, patting his cheek in amusement, "and what about the kids? Bart eats like there's no tomorrow, Conner and M'gann are having their vegan phase-"

"They can deal with it for one night. Where are they anyway?"

"I gave them a day off. Tim said they'd be back around seven or eight and to save them dinner."

Vic rolls his eyes, "Well, I gotta go charge for a while. It's gonna be a long night."

His wife hums in agreement, pecking him on the lips. "I'll keep an eye on Star."

"Make sure she's sleepin' right, okay? She used to get night terrors a lot when we were younger."

"I will."

Sarah watches her dutifully, turning on a Hallmark film and studying the girl beside her. Her eyes flit over the faint scars and healed burns along Starfire's bare arms and legs, wondering what could have happened in the last three years without her.

Her husband had always had a unique bond with the alien girl. When she was first introduced to the other Titans, Sarah supposed she should have felt jealous when she saw the fiery princess's affection towards Cyborg- but she never did. She admired the strength of their sibling-like relationship, something she'd always wanted but never had with her own brother. Starfire received Sarah with that same warm, welcomeness, and in an instant, she felt at home.

No one really knew it, but Victor had taken Starfire's absence almost as hard as Dick. The first time she left had been difficult, but at the time, the Titans were still a unit. He still had his family nearby, and Starfire had taken to visiting so often it felt like she'd never left. Her leaving Earth was what really destroyed him. He blamed everyone- his work, heroics, the Titans. He blamed himself most of all.

The Justice League's invitation had been a godsend. Sarah watched her husband rise to occasion and take on the responsibility of the Network, and in the process, heal. Meanwhile, Starfire's transmissions were becoming more and more infrequent, eventually ending altogether. When they stopped, Victor was forced to hold his hurt inwards for the sake of the team- something Sarah was thankful for. He had purpose, he had his drive, and he still sent Starfire messages as often as he could. He took it better than she had hoped.

" _Vic! Hurry up, we're gonna be late!" Sarah called, smoothing out the bottom of her dress. She drummed her fingers on the counter boredly, glancing at her watch. "Babe!"_

" _Comin'! Just finishing up another transmission!"_

 _She sighed and shook her head, heading into their bedroom, "Vic, sweetie, that's the third one this week. She hasn't said anything in almost two months, maybe you should give it a rest-"_

" _I gotta do this. What if she thinks we've forgotten her or somethin'? Aaaaand sent."_

 _Sarah set her chin on her husband's head, wrapping her arms around his shoulders._

" _I miss her too. She'd be proud of you, y'know."_

" _Yeah?"_

" _Wherever she is, whatever she's doing, I know she would be."_

"Sarah?" Starfire says softly, snapping the blonde girl out of her thoughts.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," Sarah says with a smile, touching the princess's arm, "feeling rested?"

"Very. The sofa is just as comfortable as I remember it," Star replies with a grin.

"Good to hear. Want me to help you unpack before dinner?"

"That would be wonderful."

Starfire is amazed to find her room untouched amid the remodeled ones. Freshly printed names stamp doors- _Miss Martian, Superboy, Kid Flash-_ shining beside the faded lettering on hers.

"You never changed it?" Starfire marvels, running her fingers along the rich purple curtains.

Sarah shakes her head, "None of us wanted to touch it. We didn't really know what to do with your stuff and for a while we thought you might be coming back." Her eyes trace the faint constellations on the ceiling, "After the new Titans moved in, we thought about letting one of them take it."

"What stopped you?" Starfire asks, hefting her luggage on top of the bed.

"Well...Dick, I guess. He wanted it ready for whenever you decided to return. And he didn't want someone to get rid of all of those." Sarah gestures to the ceiling.

"I- that was...I did not believe him to still... _x'hal_." The Tamaranean girl slumps to the floor, hugging herself tightly.

Sarah rests a hand on her shoulder, crouching beside her, "We all missed you like crazy, Kori. Dick most of all. I have to ask...do you still love him?"

"More than anything the world," Starfire whispers, "That is why I left in the first place."

"I-" Sarah's watch beeps, cutting her off, "Shit, it's almost five thirty," she curses, pushing a button. "This conversation isn't over, Kor. I need to go make up the guest rooms."

"You are expecting visitors tonight? I did not mean to impose by coming in with no warning-" Starfire shrinks back.

"No, I promise, you aren't imposing at all. It was sort of a last minute thing," Sarah reassures her. She touches Starfire's shoulder and smiles. "I'm glad you're back. I've missed you." She rises and heads to the door, turning to glance at her friend, "Welcome home, Star."

" _Surprise!"_

 _Rainbow confetti burst from the ceiling, filling her vision with color as she was engulfed in a giant hug. Her eyes drifted to the large banner that had been hung across the main screen._

 _Starfire squeezed her friends with delight, pressing her cheek to Raven's. "Friends! You did not have to do this!"_

" _We wanted to, lil' lady! It's not everyday you turn twenty-one," Vic smacked a shot glass into her palm, bringing his hand up around his mouth, "Yo! It's time for the birthday girl's first drink!"_

 _A chorus of cheers and appreciative whistles came across the crowded room. Richard nudged her hip gently, smiling as she brought the glass up to her lips and threw her head back._

 _Karen whooped, soaring into the air, "Sparky, hit the tracks!"_

 _Vic grinned, lifting his arm, "On it, girl!"_

 _A heavy bassline blasted from the speakers, its rhythmic thudding inviting people to dance. Starfire felt Richard's lips graze her ear as he leaned into mutter, "Save me a dance, Kori," before allowing her to be pulled away by Sarah and Karen. Raven followed them into the kitchen, the corners of her lips twitching as she tried to hide her smile._

" _So, bartender, what are your selections for the evening?" Karen prompted, straightening her leather jacket._

 _Gar grinned, spinning a cocktail shaker in the air with practiced ease, "Well for one night, and one night only, we have the-"_

" _Are you even old enough to be handling the beverages, Gar? Last I checked, you're eighteen," Raven droned, raising an eyebrow._

 _The changeling slumped over, "Killjoy. Awww come on, just this once." He shot Starfire a pleading look._

 _She shook her head, "I am sorry, but I agree with Raven. Go and dance instead. You are the 'party animal' correct?"_

 _He smiled, swinging himself over the counter to kiss her cheek, "You're right. Happy twenty-first, Starbae. Hey, Wally!" He called._

 _The speedster zipped over to them, a rose in hand. "Milady," he said with a grin, handing it to the girl of the evening before turning to Gar, "'Sup G?"_

" _Can you man the bar for a little bit? Some people think I'm too young," Gar glowered at the empath beside him._

 _Raven shrugged, "Guilty."_

" _Anything for the birthday girl, you got a list?"_

 _Gar slipped Wally a sheet of paper before heading off to dance._

" _Alright, ladies, the Wall-ster is here to serve you whatever you need. Tonight's specials are-" he glanced at the list, "the Tamaranean Twist, Strawberry Daiquiris, Starbolt Shots, Flaming Legs, Dirty Kori, and my personal favorite, Sex in The Sky," Wally winked, "What'll it be?"_

" _A Dirty Kori here," Karen said with a grin, wrapping an arm around Starfire's waist._

" _Two Starbolt Shots."_

" _Tea."_

 _Wally rolled his eyes, "I gotcha cup right here, Rave. Birthday girl?"_

" _Surprise me," Starfire said._

 _Her fellow Titans grinned, immediately scattering throughout the room._

" _Wally? What are you- hey!"_

 _The red headed boy dumped Richard in his place, blowing Starfire a kiss and saying, "Later, Legs," before zipping off._

" _What was that about?" Richard grumbled with a scowl, surveying the makeshift bar._

 _Starfire smiled. "I asked Wally to surprise me with a drink and somehow I received you instead."_

" _Damn speedster," he cursed, straightening out the bottles on the counter, "So what'll it be, ma'am?"_

" _As I said before, I do enjoy surprises."_

" _Perfect," he flashed her a grin, pulling various ingredients towards him. She watched him combine liquids and syrups in short glass rimmed with sugar. Richard placed three heart-shaped slices of strawberries on top, sticking a red twizzler in the glass, "Ta-da."_

 _Starfire looked at the final result, which was a dark blue-black drink with the spicy smell of cinnamon and cherries rising from it. She felt her mouth water as she leaned in to take a sip from the licorice straw he had placed in it, beaming as the flavor hit her tongue._

" _Glorious!"_

 _He laughed, raising a can of soda to her cup and clinking them together, "Glad you like it."_

" _Have you given it a name?"_

" _Yeah actually, but it's a secret. Promise not to tell?"_

" _Would I ever?" She replied coyly, floating around the counter so she was beside him._

 _He leaned in, and everything around her faded away._

" _I call it-"_

" _Yo, lovebirds, come dance!"_

 _Richard growled, stepping away from her._

" _Do not be moody, they are just trying to have fun. We are coming Victor!" Starfire called, setting her drink down to take his hand, "You owe me a dance anyways."_

" _I suppose I do."_

 _Their fingers were interlocked, bodies twisting in the flashing lights. He could smell the sweetness of candy and cinnamon on her breath, and he couldn't help but wish they could kiss, right then and there._

 _She looked up at him through thick lashes and sighed._

" _Richard...you have something on your mind."_

 _He smiled, "Yeah. Talk later?"_

" _Always."_

That had been a few months before the first time she left the Titans. After the party, Starfire buried a box of keepsakes at the base of the Tower, as she had taken to doing ever since she learned what a time capsule was. She wonders if it's still there, or if someone found it and held onto it instead.

She sighs, and twists around, pulling one of her suitcases down from her bed. Starfire unzips it and heaves out a colorful box, gently removing its lid.

Her fingers brush along the contents inside, recalling the memories from before. A cracked shot glass from her twenty-first birthday, a book of pressed flowers from her last visit to the Jump City Botanical Garden, bottle caps with silly sayings from the karaoke bar she had sung at with Gar, tiny trinkets from her last year as a Titan.

"The heroics never stop," Starfire says sadly, turning over the remains of her old communicator. She sighs and sets the box aside, returning to unpack her open case.

* * *

Raven warps in just as Sarah finishes ordering pizza, accompanied by her husband and a few overnight bags.

Sarah smiles at the sight of her green friend sporting a baby on either side of his torso, a fancy strappy carrier keeping them secured against his body.

"Wow, you're happy," Raven notes after greetings are exchanged,"like, really really happy. Emoting through the roof."

Gar's jaw drops. "Are you and Vic going through with the adoption thing then?!"

"No, no, no-" Sarah says hurriedly, cheeks tinged pink, "Well, I mean, we aren't sure yet, but, ah, we have a surprise for you... it's not a baby, I promise."

Raven's brow furrows as she helps unstrap a sleeping Arella from Gar's back. "Then what…oh."

Her eyes widen as she sets her daughter on an unfolded playmat, bringing her hand to her mouth.

"Is it-"

Sarah jerks her head towards the hallway, "See for yourself."

Gar watches his wife race out of the commons, a quizzical look on his face, "Sare-bear?"

The blonde woman rolls her eyes, grinning nonetheless, "Give me Lilith and go after her. You'll like what you find."

He obliges her, handing over the purple haired child before exiting the common room curiously.

Sarah bounces Lilith on her hip, cooing at the girl.

"Your Aunt Kori has green eyes too, did you know that? The prettiest green eyes ever, just like yours-" she kisses her cheek, raising her to blow raspberries on her stomach. Lilith gurgles with delight, clapping her hands together.

"I'm happy too, Lili. You wanna sit with Auntie Sare-bear for a while? Hmm?"

She isn't there to see it happen, but she knows when it does. The lights across the Tower flicker, and she imagines the scene unfolding as if she'd lived it herself.

Gar walks down the hall, peering at the new names on bedroom doors.

"Rae? Where'd you go?" He calls, stopping at Starfire's old room. He knocks hesitantly, pressing his ear to it. "You here? Rave- whoa!"

The door slides open and sends him crashing to the floor.

"Uff," he groans, rubbing his shoulder, "babe, I dunno what you're looking for but-"

"Hello, Garfield."

His head snaps up.

"No way," he says in awe, leaping onto his feet, "Starfire?"

The Tamaranean wiggles a hand free from Raven's tight embrace, raising it. "Greetings," She says with a smile.

The changeling morphs into a kitten and races to her feet, meowing until she lifts him up to set him on her shoulder. He nuzzles his face against her skin and purrs deeply, cuddling into the space below her jaw. She giggles and runs her fingers through his fur with her free hand.

"I have missed you both," Starfire says quietly.

"Where have you been, Kori? Do you know how many messages I left you?" Raven asks, anger shaking in her voice as she lets go of the red haired girl.

"I know, Raven, and I assure you, had I seen the messages I would have responded, I simply...forgot to check."

"Forgot to check? Is that the excuse you're going to go with?"

Starfire looks away, pink-cheeked. "I neglected you all and it was unforgivable. For that, I am sorry."

Gar's purring stops. He looks up at her with wide eyes, tilting his head. He hisses loudly before jumping off of her to curl up on her bed.

"He's right, this isn't worth getting into," Raven says wearily, "I'm just glad you're finally back."

Starfire's stomach drops, "Raven, I-"

"Really, Star, I promise. It's okay," she plants a swift kiss on her cheek and takes her hand, "Come on, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

The kitten meows again, shifting back into human form.

" _Someones_ Rae," he corrects with a grin, "Two of them, actually."

Starfire gasps. "You mean…?"

"Wanna see your little nieces?"

An hour later, they're sitting in the living room, a stack of empty pizza boxes steadily climbing upwards on the coffee table. Starfire sits cross-legged on the floor and makes faces at the little girl lying on the playmat before her. Lilith waves her tiny fists in the air, staring up the strange woman in wonder.

"Hello my little _bumgorf_ ," Starfire coos, tickling the baby's stomach before turning to the green haired child crawling towards her, "You are both so beautiful, just like your mother."

"Thank God for that," Vic jokes, reaching for another slice of pizza, "Can you imagine what it'd be like havin' two little green beans runnin' around this place?"

"My worst nightmare," Raven drones, taking a sip of tea.

"Meanies, all of you. Starfire doesn't agree, right?" Gar turns to herl expectantly. "Star? Starbae…hello?"

"Leave her alone," his wife swats him on the arm.

"Yeah man, it's too late anyways, she's totally gone," Victor adds, gesturing at the scene before them.

Sarah rolls her eyes, "You two weren't any better. If I recall correctly, _someone_ tried to build a giant nursery in the tower so we could steal the girls away if we wanted to."

"You were all for it!" Vic says indignantly, "You picked out color swatches an' everything."

She shrugs, "I never said I was a saint."

"Just a kidnapper," Gar chimes in.

"Can you blame me?"

"Nope," He replies with a grin, "I got some cute kids."

"Have _,_ " Raven corrects, rolling her eyes, " You _have_ some cute kids. Speaking of, Star, if she's getting fussy, you can run a bottle of milk under some hot water to warm it up."

"Whatever you say Mama," Gar smacks his lips to hers, grinning long after she shoves him away.

"I married an idiot."

"A hot idiot."

She opens her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by the doorbell.

"I shall get it," Starfire says pleasantly. She balances Arella on her hip as she floats to the security system.

"Victor, someone has activated the boom-tube and is requesting access, may I-"

"Go ahead."

She presses a button and says, "You may enter," before moving to the kitchen to heat up a bottle of milk.

"More 'zza, Sarah? Y'know we've got, like, a zillion boxes uneaten," Gar says easily, throwing his arm around the empath beside him.

She zaps him irritably, "What kind of delivery guy comes via teleporter, dummy?" and tilts her head, turning to Victor and Sarah curiously.

"Is that who I think it is?" She whispers.

"We thought it would be a good idea," Vic replies, shrugging his shoulders, "it's been six months since they've talked, three years since they've seen each other. We all know how much they care."

"You mean love," Sarah curls her fingers around the exposed skin on her husband's arm, smiling dreamily.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," Raven warns, "we all know it takes more than love to make something work. Especially when, last we checked, _someone_ was incapable of saying the big three words."

Vic hums in agreement and drums his fingers on the back of the couch.

"Oh come on! Can someone clue me in on what's going on?" Gar complains, crossing his arms.

"You'll see soon enough," Raven says. His drooping ears and slouched posture brings a smirk to her lips.

"Not fair," he mumbles, reaching for another slice of pizza.

"I know," she pats his cheek, turning her attention to the kitchen.

"Kori, you doing okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry!" The Tamaranean calls, "I am feeding her. I was...lost in thought."

Raven purses her lips, setting her cup down. She shares a glance with Sarah and rises from the sofa. "You want to talk about it?"

The sound of the elevator opening draws all of their attention to the other side of the room.

"-stop squirming buddy, why are you being so- alright, alright, go ahead," A dark haired man steps out and releases a large wiggling worm with an exasperated huff. He drops his duffel bag and smiles, holding his arms out.

"Long time no see, guys!" Dick Grayson exclaims.

To his surprise, no one moves.

His brow furrows, "What, no hug? C'mon, it's been at least a month since we got together."

In the kitchen, a young woman feels weak at the knees.

"Dick," Starfire breathes. The bottle drops from her hand and Arella begins to wail, pulling his gaze to her.

His jaw goes slack.

"Kori?"

 **End Chapter II**

A/N: Once again, thank you for reading! Tamaranean vocab will be addressed later on as the story continues; I will compile a full list a few chapters in. Please, please, please review!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter of Liability!

Z.R.C.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Woooooow, I left you guys on quite the cliffhanger, didn't I? I'll keep this brief then- thank you to Cas, my brilliant beta, Nightglider124, a fellow author with AWESOME talent, and Ruefully-yours, whose enthusiasm made my day. Review responses and more at the bottom. Happy reading!

Chapter III

 _She's feather-light and infinite, running her fingers along his side gently as she presses her face to his collarbone._

" _Richard," she coos, "do the rising and shining. It is dawn."_

 _He mumbles as he pushes her hand away, drawing the covers over his head. "No."_

 _She pouts and floats above him, yanking the blanket away from his face._

" _You pinky promised and made me do the stamping of it."_

" _Koriiiii," he whines. She giggles and floats higher, letting out an 'eep!' as he snags her by the waist and tugs her back down._

" _I'm tired," he complains._

" _That is your fault. I told you to sleep."_

" _I was distracted." His eyes flick to her chest before returning to her face, his lips quirking in a devilish smile._

 _Kori grins back, "Oh? You make that sound slightly mischievous."_

" _I was going for a lot more than_ slightly _mischievous." He threads their fingers together and sits up, settling their joined hands at her hips. "So…"_

" _You promised. Every sunrise, every sunset. It's sunrise," she says pointedly, "and we have a whole ceiling to paint."_

" _I don't wann- oof!" Richard grunts as he lands on the floor unceremoniously. "Wow, really?" He scowls._

" _Every sunrise," she replies, tossing him a pair of drawstring pants._

 _Moments later, she's dragging him out of his room and up the stairs, ready to greet the day. He's unapologetically admiring the view as he follows her, his eyes fixated on her swishy hair and smooth legs long after she's berated him._

 _She leads him right to edge, and he's unfazed when she dives off the Tower. She screams with delight, letting the sun warm her skin and blaze her heart. He watches her twist gracefully with the wind, almost jealous of her connection with the air._

 _Kori notices his wistful gaze and holds out her hand, smiling brightly._

" _Join me?" She offers._

 _He doesn't hesitate for a second._

 _They're attached at the forearms, fingers curled tightly around bare skin. It's a trapeze hold, familiar and nostalgic. She lifts them, carrying them high into the air, far over the water till all he can see is glimmering blue ocean beneath._

 _Then, they drop. The wind hisses in his ears as he falls through the sky, lost in the feeling of flight. It never gets old for him. Richard can hear her laughter over the blood rushing through his head, he can feel her warmth where she touches him._

 _Just before they hit the bottom, she grabs him and shoots to the sky, leaving a burst of ocean spray in her wake._

" _Faster," he yells, grinning when she obliges him, bringing them to breakneck speed before gently dropping him on the rooftop._

" _Did you enjoy the flight?" She asks shyly, "It has been a while since we have gone-"_

" _It was amazing," he replies warmly._

 _She beams and takes his hand, "Then we are ready to paint?"_

 _He smiles back, "Yeah, Kor. We're ready to paint."_

 _They stop by his room to grab a shirt - she pouts when he finally slips it on, visibly disappointed._

" _Can't go shirtless forever," he says playfully, "and it wouldn't be fair if I did."_

" _You could try," she retorts, sticking out her tongue, "and if you wish to see me shirtless, Richard, you need only ask."_

 _His jaw drops and she giggles._

" _Mean. Really, really mean."_

 _She shrugs, "You are too easy."_

 _They set to work on their project almost immediately. She lifts her bed into the air while he spreads a plastic tarp across the floor of her bedroom. They cover her furniture too, opening cans of paint and unwrapping fresh brushes before setting them aside._

 _Kori places a thick atlas on her bed, opening it to a two-page spread on constellations._

" _Glorious," she murmurs, tracing the patterns with her eyes, "do we have room to make all of them_ and _Vega?"_

 _He looks up and rubs the back of his neck, "We could do Vega in the center," he says, gesturing to the space above her bed, "or paint all the constellations here and finish the system around the room."_

 _She ponders this and follows his gaze, envisioning her project complete._

" _How about we paint the coat of bases first-"_

" _Base coat," he corrects, hiding his grin when she frowns._

" _Yes, yes, base coat, and then choose the best design?"_

" _Sounds like a plan. But," he pauses, eyeing her outfit, "is that what you wanna wear to paint? It gets messy, y'know."_

 _She glances down at her shorts and t-shirt, tilting her head, "I have painted before, Richard, do not baby me. Pass me that brush."_

" _Your wish is my command."_

The first thing he does is check in with Lola, who dutifully informs him that, no, he has not received any new transmissions., Tim has called twice in the last six hours and Silkie needs to be fed. With some more prodding, she updates him on the Jeremy Weaver and Alice Cardinal Case, reminding him, in what he thinks is an overly sarcastic tone, that he has work in an hour and would be told exactly the same amount of information when he arrives there. He commends her, forever amused by the fact that he has to _thank_ his AI every time she performs her job correctly. As per Lola's instructions, he opens a can of wet dog food - Silkie's food of the month - and sets it on the floor, laying out a bowl of zorkaberry infused water beside it.

He brushes his teeth while Lola calls Tim, rolling his eyes when she announces she has connected him to 'The Drakester'.

Dick spits in the sink, wiping his mouth, "Getting ready for work," he calls.

"Dude, it's Saturday, don't you get most weekends off?"

"There's been a break in one of our bigger cases. We might be able to catch the duo responsible for killing twelve staffers from the Mayor's office and four officers from our unit." He rinses and spits again, toweling his face before heading into his living room to take a seat at the computer.

Tim whistles, "That's huge, man. Are you planning on bringing Nightwing into it?"

"If I need to. BPD has been working hard on this one though, I don't want to take the credit."

"Makes sense. What's the pair's m.o?" Tim asks, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, the guy, Jeremy, he's a reformed mobster from Miami. He's been in the clear for ten, fifteen years. Moves to Gotham, gets sucked back into crime there, and meets this girl-" Dick pauses, "Alice Cardinal. Young, attractive, and powerful. She's the dominant one this relationship, but she plays submissive and lets him think he has control."

"Is she a meta?"

"We're not totally sure. She doesn't exercise her abilities openly if she is one. I've doubled down on stealth-mode surveillance and I haven't found anything."

"Did you ask Bruce?"

"Yeah, he's working on it. Babs too. It's so weird, Tim, Jeremy was good. He'd been attending AA and Anger Management classes, taking freakin' yoga at his community center. Then he meets Alice and everything just falls apart."

Tim shrugs, "love makes people do crazy things. You should know."

Dick shoots him a glare, "Wow."

"I'm just sayin'. Seriously though, when was the last time you went out on a date?"

"I don't have time, this case is taking up all of my-"

"Or for that matter," his brother cuts in, "when was the last time you went out? Come on, spend the weekend with Alfred. Invite Damian over."

Dick snorts, "Do you have any idea how many things I'll have to demon-proof before I let him in here?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Come on, Dick, you gotta get out there and have some fun. Even if it's just with the family," he hesitates. "About that case…"

"Yeah?"

"You could always ask Jas-"

"Nope, not gonna happen."

Tim frowns. "You won't even consider-"

"No, I won't," Dick says sternly, crossing his arms, "I don't want to encourage Jase's shit, okay? I'm not going to give him another reason to go underground and mess around with the people down there"

"Alright, alright," Tim holds up his hands apologetically, "Sorry I asked."

"Got any plans for today? Where is everybody?"

"Lazy Saturday. Sarah's up, though, I think she's on a run."

"Vic?"

Tim shrugs, "She said he's visiting the Watchtower. I guess Clark called and needed to give him something. But if it means we get the day off…"

"I get it," Dick says with a laugh, "man, one time I went away for a few days- you know the story about my visit with the Master - I got back and the Titans had gotten into my clothes."

"What?"

"You heard me," he smiles at the look on his brother's face, "I walked in and there they were, masks and gloves and boots. The whole costume. Even Silkie."

Tim wrinkles his nose, "Dude that's _weird_."

"You have no idea," Dick says fondly, "anyways, I gotta head out soon. Talk later?"

"Yeah, sure. See ya."

"Bye Tim."

He hangs up and finishes getting dressed, choosing a sky blue button down with black slacks. He clips his badge to his belt and pulls on his jacket.

Something gurgles and Dick looks down to find his mutant larvae wiggling about his feet.

He crouches and rubs Silkie's belly, "I know, bud, I'll be back soon. Don't eat my shoes or I'll make you stay with Bruce."

"Lola, lock up please," he calls, before grabbing his briefcase and exiting his apartment.

The walk to the precinct was brief, mostly because every building in the Central Business District of Blüdhaven is in close proximity with each other. The city's failed efforts to create a structured center for manufacturing and shipping had led to widespread corruption that ate away at it's outsides; common thugs and unfortunate souls rose to power. Roland Desmond, alias Blockbuster, pumped himself full of drugs and took charge of the crime rings and mobs that ran the streets at night. Tiberius Acuvich, a humble professor who lost his family in the civil war that had befallen the city, became head of the Blüdhaven Bones. Lana Thompson, once a public servant dedicated to sharing the truth with the city's people, now helped spread fear through persistent propaganda.

The heart of Blüdhaven quickly became its most protected district. Government buildings, housing, and businesses all moved inwards, cramming themselves into the center of the city in an effort to keep away from their violent fringes. The BPD did their best when they could, fighting their own internal battle against corruption at the same time. With the arrival of Nightwing, things had gotten easier. The suburbs of the city were reopened and thriving while most of the gangs previously occupying those parts were forced underground. Slowly but surely, healing had begun.

Joining the force had been the smartest option. Though Bruce had offered him a secure position at WayneTech's base in Blüdhaven, Dick knew the police department was his best bet to make a real change. He took the required courses he needed and submitted an application to their program. After acing the detective exam - on three separate accounts he would proudly add when asked - he was officially brought onto the team.

Lead Detectives Derek Prenderghast and Denise Harrison are the first to greet him when he walks through the door.

"Morning Dick!" Denise says cheerily, holding up a cup of coffee towards him, "I saved you some."

"Thanks Denise," he replies, before turning to the older man beside her, "hello Derek."

Prenderghast glances up from the files on his desk. "Chief wants to see you, Grayson." He says gruffly, "try to keep whatever it is short. As soon as Montgomery gets here we'll do a full debriefing."

"Yes sir." He shrugs his coat off and sets it at his desk, before making his way towards Charlotte Hennesey's office.

"Wow, Derek, when are you gonna lighten up?" He hears Denise hiss to her partner of sixteen years.

"What do you want me to do, throw him a fuckin' parade?" Derek shoots back, "I like the kid, that doesn't mean I'm gonna get down on my knees and-."

"I see I've caught you at a bad time. Can we reschedule this? When are you free?"

"Try _never_."

"Is that on the Gregorian Calendar?"

Derek lets out a sigh of irritation much to Denise's delight. Dick can't help but smile at their bickering; so reminiscent of a certain empath and her husband.

He knocks on the glass door of Chief Hennesey's office and is quickly let in by Charlotte herself.

"Good morning, Detective Grayson," she says, gesturing to the chairs before her desk, "please, take a seat."

"With all due respect Chief, can you sit first?" He asks, eyeing her swollen stomach.

She rolls her eyes, "For God's sakes, my husband, my brother, Prenderghast, and now _you_ \- do any of you realize I'm not going to burst like a balloon however much I resemble one. Sit down, Dick."

He obeys, watching her waddle to the armchair in the nearest corner of the room, a scowl marring her usually lovely face. Charlotte sighs with relief as she sinks into the soft chair, and sets her feet on the matching stool, reaching above her head to adjust her blonde ponytail.

"Now," she begins, "what I would like to discuss with you is strictly confidential. I would appreciate it if you refrained from sharing the details of this conversation with anyone, except, perhaps, Derek."

"Of course, Chief," Dick tilts his head, "everything alright?"

"Not entirely," Charlotte says uneasily, "you remember the circumstances that put me in this position?"

His eyes narrow, "the deaths of Francis Redhorn and Officer Soames. The mayor wanted someone she could trust in this position so she chose you."

"Correct. We've been working to weed out the corrupt officers on the force so that nothing so tragic ever happens again. I have personally investigated every member of my staff to ensure their trustworthiness."

"Okay. And?"

"And," She pauses and looks him dead in the eyes, "I think there may be someone on _your_ team working for Blockbuster."

His heart sinks, her words confirming his suspicions. "Chief-"

She shakes her head and cuts him off, "Let me finish, Grayson, I know it must be difficult to listen to, but I'm almost certain one of you five has joined the ranks of his operatives."

"It's not that," Dick says gently, rising from his chair, "I actually agree with you."

"You do?" She breathes, relaxing in her seat, "Thank God."

"What made you assume it's not me though?"

Charlotte smiles, "of all the new recruits, you're the most eager and most talented. Given the hours you work and the number of busts you've lead against Blockbuster, it's hard to imagine you're his secret weapon. Not to mention WayneTech's generous donations to the BPD for their pursuit against crime in the city. You just don't fit the profile."

"Fair enough," Dick concedes, "do you have any idea who it could be?"

"No, which is why I need you. Frankly, you and Derek are the only two I trust with total certainty. But Derek holds too much faith in the people on his team, and since you're new and perceptive-"

"You believe I can weed out the mole," he finishes.

"Yes. Over the course of the Weaver-Cardinal investigation, I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye on your fellow detectives."

"Absolutely, Chief. Anything else?"

"No, that's all," She regards him carefully, "you're taking this surprisingly well."

He shrugs, "It's my job to notice these sorts of things, ma'am. Blockbuster knew too many intimate details relating recent busts we conducted for it to be coincidental."

"I see," Charlotte pushes herself up from the armchair and settles a hand on her stomach, glaring down at it. "Three weeks left," she grumbles, moving towards her desk.

"Ma'am?"

"Hmm? Oh, you're dismissed, Grayson. Debriefing will happen in a few hours, let Prenderghast know, please."

He nods and leaves her office quickly, already turning her words over in his head.

 _I think there may be someone on your team working for Blockbuster._

This isn't news to him, but it's jarring all the same. Prenderghast, Harrison, Fincher, Montgomery, and Nuñez, though he's only known them three or four years, have become somewhat of a third family to him. That's not to say he hasn't remained wary of them over time. Dick's still private about his life and past, but he goes out with them every now and then. They're reliable, dependable teammates. Harrison is the mother hen with the eyes of a hawk, perched on their shoulders dutifully, watching their every move. Prenderghast is tough and unforgiving, but when you've been working as long as he has in the position he's in, it's nearly impossible to not be. Montgomery is smart, and incredibly precise with the analysis of a crime scene. He's also the closest thing Dick has to best friend in the city. Fincher is sweet and quick, flitting about the office space to do a billion things at once. Lastly, there's his unofficial partner. She's brilliant, and never fails to steal almost everyone's breath when she walks into a room (him being the exception). At one point, he thought he might've liked Nuñez, whose ferocity was on par with that of a certain Tamaranean he had once loved. Still loves. Shouldn't love.

He thinks if he uses the word long enough it'll lose it's meaning.

 _Lovelovelovelovelove._

He sighs and shakes his head, taking a seat at his desk. He reaches into his pocket to retrieve his phone, swiping through various messages distractedly.

Three years without her on Earth, six months without any messages. There was a time when he wouldn't have been able to fathom such a separation.

Now his heart sinks lower, and he carries on as he always does.

"Dick," a lilting voice pulls him away from his mindless motions, "what time is the briefing today?"

"Hello to you too, Elena. Chief says a few hours, four or five. I guess _new_ new evidence has come in," he tries to ignore the shift in her hazel eyes, which seem to flash emerald for a moment.

"I see. Thank you, I'll let him know," Detective Elena Nuñez replies, lips pulling into a slow smile, "everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he lies, mirroring her smile hesitantly, "just kinda tired. Busy night." Busy leaving criminals bound and ready for pick-up, investigating the Weaver-Cardinal case, and arguing with Babs over the phone.

"Ah, I gotcha. I'm sure you have lots of those," she shoots him a wink, giggling as he reddens.

Dick clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, "Anything you need, Lena?"

Her grin widens as she shakes her head, "Nope, nothing at all. Just checking in."

He opens his mouth to respond, but is saved by a loud buzz from his desk.

"I, er, need to take that," he says, reaching for his phone and swiping right, "Hello?"

"Cupcake, when you say you're going to call, you actually have to call me."

"Sorry, Babs," he offers, watching the dark haired woman head to her seat, "I got busy."

"You're always busy," Babs complains, "and it's a terrible excuse. Now, business. Anything new?"

"Talked with Hennessey."

"Oooh, the boss called? What'd she say?"

"If the baby's a boy, she's naming it _Brutus_ ," He says, praying that she remembers.

He hears her suck in a breath at the sound of their code word.

"So we're right?"

"It appears that way."

"Dick," Babs says softly, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not like we didn't have our suspicions, Babsy."

"Still," she replies, "it never gets easy."

" _Et tu, Brute?"_ Dick quotes jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll start looking for names as soon as possible. Let me know if you need anything."

"I'll call you."

"You better, this time. Love you. Give Silkie my best."

"Give Jason mine. Bye, Babs."

Sixteen minutes before the briefing, he gets another phone call. Prenderghast warns him to make it quick, shooting him a chilling look akin to his father's batglare.

"BPD, Junior Detective Grayson speaking," he says hurriedly, glancing at the head detective.

"Dick? It's Sarah," his sister-in-law says cheerily.

A smile bursts across his face.

"Long time no talk, Mrs. Stone. How's it going? What's up?"

""Everything's great! I was just wondering if you're free tonight? Vic and I have something to show you all, so we invited Raven and Gar over for a sleepover and were hoping you could make it too?"

He blinks and rubs the back of his neck, "What time?"

She makes a little noise of delight, "Six-ish. But you can come late if you need to. I promise I won't let the boys guzzle all of the food."

"Well...alright. Gotta go, Chief's debriefing us on the Weaver-Cardinal case. See you later."

"Bring Silkie!" She reminds him, "Bye!"

Stunned, he tucks his phone back into his pocket and takes a seat on a bench beside Cam Montgomery.

The blonde man grins easily, "Who was that, Grayson? Some lucky lady?"

Dick smiles back, "Best friend's wife, actually, so yeah."

Cam wiggles his eyebrows, much to the disgust of the woman on his left.

"Classy, Cam," Jessica wrinkles her nose.

He shrugs, "if she's hot, she's hot."

"It's a wonder you've made it this far in life."

"It's a wonder I've made it this far without you."

Dick doesn't have to see her face to know she's gone scarlet. Jessica hits his arm gently, turning her gaze to the screen ahead of them.

"She digs me," Cam whispers, following her gaze as Chief Hennesey waddles to the podium up front.

"Afternoon, Officers."

A chorus of greetings makes its way through the rows of men and women, their voices falling silent when Hennesey clears her throat.

"Jeremy Weaver and Alice Cardinal," she begins, gesturing to the man and woman on the screen behind her, "the duo responsible for the murders of four of our own and twelve members of Mayor Vasquez's Administration. Last known sighting was about a week ago near Fear Cay."

"Who are they? A brief recap- Weaver was part of the crime rings in Florida. He gets out and goes completely clean for ten years or so, really rebuilds his life. Moves to Star City, works for Queen Industries for a few years before getting transferred to their location Gotham, and at some point meets Alice May Cardinal."

Hennesey pauses to change the slide and stares at the new picture of the girl for a moment. She shakes her head and sighs, "Ladies and gentlemen, the woman herself- Ms. Cardinal."

Alice is pretty enough, with pale skin, smooth blonde hair that grazes her collarbone, and sharp green eyes. She smiles at the camera innocently, and despite all his training, and his ability to analyze even the most talented liars perfectly, Dick cannot help but think this woman is not evil.

"Cardinal was a junior reporter for the popular tabloid _Gotham Weekly._ About a year into their relationship, she is replaced and Weaver is laid off from work. They move to Blüdhaven shortly after and are approached by Roland Desmond, alias Blockbuster, and a few other thugs. For reasons unknown, Desmond takes a liking to the pair and they form an alliance. Enter Mayor Vasquez's bid for reelection," Hennessey clicks another button and the images of sixteen men and women appear on the screen, "January fourteenth, one sixteen a.m. at City Hall. The Mayor and a dozen members of his administration work a late night. Four of our own officers are on loan to their security detail. Within two minutes, any and all communications to and from the building are cut off and the surveillance feed is destroyed. Nightwing arrives at the scene thirty-two minutes later and finds the Mayor unconscious, surrounded by sixteen bodies in this formation-"

A ripple of murmurs rises through the rows of officers as a new image appears on the screen.

Cam makes a noise of disgust and shakes his head, "some people, man."

All sixteen bodies were arranged into a large circle, in which thirteen people were placed facedown and three women were left lying on their backs. Their shirts were raised till they stopped just beneath their breasts, revealing wide, gaping wounds in their stomachs. Blood had been smeared across their skin, dripping onto the pale floor beneath them. A strange symbol connected the women, similar to a flower with three points. In the center of the bloody image was the mayor's inert form.

"This photo," Hennessey begins, once the murmurs have died down, "was sent to us by Weaver and Cardinal themselves. Detectives Derek Prenderghast and Jessica Fincher have been researching the symbol extensively, and will be open for questions and further explanations once the debriefing has concluded. Which brings me to the main point of conversation today. This morning, an anonymous caller left a message informing us that the duo and Blockbuster are planning something large - an undertaking of sorts. I would like to remind you all," Hennessey raises her voice over the growing commotion, "that we are to protect the public from threats such as these, and often themselves. The Mayor has spoken, and on this I agree, we cannot let anyone outside of this precinct become aware that an undertaking is occurring or when."

"When is this thing happening, Chief?" Someone pipes up.

"In six to eight weeks. I'd like to be fully ready in four. Anything else?"

Another officer waves a hand hesitantly, "what does the symbol mean?"

Hennessey purses her lips and changes slides, her hands gripping the podium tightly.

"That, Johanna, is something I'd like to find out too," she says softly, lifting a small remote into the air to shut off the projector, "please direct all other questions to the highest ranking officer within your team. I have another meeting with Vazquez, but I can assure you, there is plenty to be done. The debriefing shall be finished within your own groups. Fincher and Prenderghast will make rounds regarding new intel as it arises. Double your kevlar, people, stay armed, and stay safe," she turns and heads to her office quickly, looking considerably green in the face as she does. As soon as Hennessey is out of earshot, the whispering begins.

"Holy shit, an undertaking? Star City barely survived theirs - and they were in much better shape then than we are now," someone says loudly.

"That fuckin' shape, man, it's wiggin' me out. Fuckin' cult drawing, that's what it was."

"How on earth did they manage to kill sixteen people, four of which were armed and trained members of the force, arrange them into a pretty circle, and draw their bloody little flower on the ground, in thirty two minutes?"

Dick spies Prenderghast and Harrison talking in hushed whispers out the corner of his eye and rises from his seat.

"Dude, where are you going? Don't you wanna get to work on this?" Cam asks curiously.

"I've got a case file on my desk to pore over. Sorry guys, I'll be on call tonight but I gotta get going," Dick says apologetically.

"Hot date?"

"Nah, not tonight, Jess, it's a family thing. Let me know if you guys get any breakthroughs."

"Aye aye, Captain," Cam salutes him mockingly, before returning to his conversation with Jessica.

Dick makes his way towards the head detectives, angled away from the awful din. He stops a few feet away, just as Denise Harrison brushes past him angrily.

Derek Prenderghast pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation, before noticing the young detective nearby.

"What is it, Grayson?" He asks tonelessly.

"I'm heading out. I have some family business to attend to. I'm leaving a copy of the case file on your desk with some notes, and I'm bringing mine with me."

Prenderghast raises an eyebrow, before breaking into a small smile.

"Is that a question or a statement?"

Dick shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips, "honestly, both. We both know my leaving a few hours early tonight doesn't make a difference. I'll get the job done one way or another."

"Well said. Go on, then. Be ready for us to call you back at any given moment," Prenderghast replies.

"Thanks."

"Of course. Where are you off to tonight?"

Dick pauses, before smiling and softly replying. "Home."

It wasn't a lie, not really. He needed to head to his apartment, pack an overnight bag, and grab his Nightwing gear for a quick patrol through the city. Once that was finished, he would take the N-Cycle and head to Gotham. Alfred would let him steal a bite of whatever was for dinner, and then Dick would take the Boom-Tube to Titan's Tower.

Sure enough, within twenty minutes of leaving the precinct, he's racing along the rooftops of Blüdhaven.

It's a standard night, something he's grateful for. In the fifty-six minutes he spends patrolling, he stops four muggings, captures two major players in Blüd's upper drug rings, and sets a few recording devices in discrete areas across the city.

He's almost sorry when it's time to leave; yeah, he misses Sarah and Vic and the whole family, but it won't be the same as when _she_ was around.

As much as he tries to stop, it's impossible for him to not think about her.

In a sunless city like Blüdhaven, he finds himself longing for her warmth more than ever.

The ride to Gotham is uneventful. His stomach growls almost as loudly as the mutant larva wiggling in his bag, and he wishes he had listened to Lola all those hours ago and had eaten his damn dinner at home.

Just as expected, Alfred is waiting in the garage, a paper bag in hand.

"Carry-out, Master Dick," he says, handing the younger man the sack.

Dick grins, "Al, you're a savior. Do you have the-"

"Boom-tube prepared? As always. And before you ask, Master Bruce and Master Damian are out, but they send their regards."

"You mean he," Dick corrects, "The little demon doesn't do 'regards'."

"Whatever you choose to believe. Shall we send you on your way?"

"Aw, Al, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me," Dick jokes, following the butler into the manor.

"Nonsense," Alfred replies briskly, making his way to the study. He throws the doors open and walks to the fireplace. He pauses, "I believe they are expecting your arrival right about now," and pushes a false panel on the mantel.

The floor of the study creaks for a minute, the smooth wooden floor giving way and splitting down the middle to reveal thick metal.

"Shall we take the lift this evening?"

Dick steps onto the metal sheet, taking note of the smile on Alfred's face.

"Alright, what are you hiding, Alfred?" He asks, hefting his duffle bag into his arms to calm Silkie's squirming.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're referencing."

"Alfred, come on," he insists, just as they are plunged into darkness. The lift comes to a halt, and they step off, making their way towards the base of the cave while the lights begin to flicker on.

"Obviously Master Tim informed you of Master Victor's visit to the Watchtower this morning."

"Yeah, he said Vic had some package to pick-up."

Alfred snorts, "a 'package' is certainly one way to put it. Master Bruce was the one who put in for it's delivery to Titan's Tower. You'll see why soon enough."

Dick cocks his head curiously, "Alfre-"

"Please step onto the platform, Master Dick, I must activate the Boom."

He obeys, shifting the bag in his arms as he moves onto the center of the raised floor.

Alfred adjusts the settings on a console a few feet ahead of him, a knowing smile present on his face, "Goodbye."

Metal and glass rise from the floor, closing him into a wide cylinder. He grins and gives Alfred a thumbs-up, watching as he launches the Boom-tube itself.

The science of Booming was interesting. Boom-tubes were first discovered a few years back and were categorized as temporal holes - rips in time that could allow traveling from location to location. Cyborg was the one who figured out how to harness them and control their position and direction. After that, the Justice League partnered with S.T.A.R. Labs and built literal tubes that could create imitation booms for quicker transportation. Since natural booms destroyed most things within a five mile radius, they needed to consider the amount of control needed to perpetrate an artificial boom without the negative effects.

Somehow they did it, and within a year, every major base of operations had access to a booming station.

A loud whirring noise screeches from beneath him, yellow sparks of light bubbling at his feet. The space around him goes dark for a moment before exploding into golden swirls of energy.

He closes his eyes and breathes slowly when his feet hit the ground, a wave of nausea rolling over him.

"Boom complete. Welcome to Tube T03: Titan's Tower," an automated voice says as the metal walls around him sink into the floor.

Dick blinks and sets his duffle bag down. He reaches to unzip it, smiling when he hears Silkie warble. The mutant larva crawls out, curling up at his feet peacefully.

"Yeah, it's good to be back, buddy," Dick murmurs. He swings the bag over his shoulder and steps off the platform, making his way past the the rest of the S.T.A.R. Equiptment.

It's a mostly empty room. The Boom Platform takes up half the space, and the rest is occupied by various machines and a backup generator that hasn't been touched in a decade. The blue buttons of an elevator glow dimly on the wall ahead of him, beckoning him forth.

"Huh, some remodeling happened," he muses, "C'mon, Silkie."

Silkie follows his human into the elevator obediently, letting out a low hum as the doors shut. Dick presses a button and pulls the worm into his arms, holding him as they begin to move.

Silkie stills, eyes going wide with recognition as the scent fills his nose. _Hereherehere_ it says, in pale green lines of smoke that taste like berries and the sofa.

He thrashes wildly in Dick's arms, letting out a mournful screech as the elevator comes to a stop.

"Whoa! Silkie, hang on-" The doors slide open while he shifts the wiggling creature in his arms, "-stop squirming buddy, why are you being so- alright, alright, go ahead," Dick says in exasperation, releasing the larvae into the common room.

He takes in his old home for a moment, glancing over the old console and television, the beaten coffee table, and well-worn couch.

"Long time no see, guys!" He exclaims, grinning widely. He drops his duffel bag and holds out his arms expectantly, surveying the two couples in the middle of the room.

The four remain silent, strange expressions on their faces - torn between happiness and curiosity.

His brow furrows, "What, no hug? C'mon, it's been at least a month since we got together."

He hears something crash to the floor, followed by a baby's wail, pulling his attention to the source of the noise.

His jaw goes slack.

"Kori?"

He's here.

He's really, truly here.

Her vision tunnels, and suddenly it's only him - taller than before, dark haired, with those gorgeous eyes she missed so much.

Raven is by her side in an instant, taking Arella into her arms to calm her cries.

"It's good to see you, Dick," Raven says hurriedly, moving to plant a kiss on his cheek before returning to sit with her husband.

Dick blinks, searching for the words to describe what he's feeling. Fury and sadness and longing and hope and love-

"You should talk," Sarah whispers loudly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He nods, grateful for the opportunity to escape. He rubs the back of his neck and turns to Kori, whose cheeks are scarlet.

"Rooftop?" He offers, and something snaps into place with ease. Her eyes light up and she smiles, moving towards him with a hand outstretched.

"I would like that."

He meets her in the middle, and doesn't hesitate to take it, lacing their fingers together almost immediately.

Kori blushes harder and clears her throat. "We shall be back soon," she announces, leading him into the hall.

"Take your time lovebi- oof," Vic grunts as a dark shadow slaps the back of his head, "Rae, come on!"

"No teasing," The empath replies, lips twitching. They watch the door shut after the pair and relax immediately.

"How long do you think they'll be up there, babe?" Gar asks, reaching for another slice of pizza.

"As long as they need."

"So like, long enough to watch _Bloody Murder IV_?"

Raven rolls her eyes, conjuring shapes at the amusement of her daughters, "Gar, we are not letting the girls watch a stupid gore fest."

"How about a not-stupid gore fest?" Gar suggests, "you can pick."

"Aw, come on grass stain, you know she's gonna pick somethin' she can watch while focusing on what's happenin' up there," Vic says, pointing to the ceiling.

Raven purses her lips. "Okay, a compromise. Scary movie later, when the girls are asleep. Comedy now."

" _Wild Nights_ just came out," Sarah claps her hands together and grins, "and I think it would be the perfect flick."

"Sounds good to me," Raven replies, her thoughts drifting to the vibes from above.

"What's happening, Rae?" Gar asks, noting the look on her face.

"Honestly...I'm not sure. There's so much going on emotionally. Lots of sadness and anger. Pain."

"Love?" Vic says quietly.

"More than anything else," Raven says with a tiny smile, "They'll be okay. _Wild Nights,_ Sarah?"

Sarah sets her plate on the table and rises, "be right back."

"Hey."

"Greetings."

"So…"

"We have much to discuss."

He snorts, swinging his legs over the edge of the tower, wind rushing through his hair, "Yeah, you could say that."

"I never meant to hurt you in leaving," She says quietly, resting their joined hands in her lap.

"The hell you didn't."

"Richard, you know it was as difficult for me as it was for you. I was leaving my family, my home, the man I loved...for uncertainty."

"Well then why'd you do it?" He says, challenging her, "if it was so hard and painful, how'd you find it in yourself to leave?" It's a loaded question, one he almost feels sorry for asking. In their line of work, there are a million valid reasons for why she would pack up and go.

She's quiet for a moment, and he takes her in once again, memorizing her with his eyes so he doesn't forget the little differences. Her hair is longer, waves of fire blowing in the ocean breeze. Her face hasn't changed much; her mouth is still irresistible and pink, her eyes are still the same gorgeous shade of green. There's a subtle shift in her smile though, something he thinks he might be the only one to see. The little dimple in her cheek doesn't go so deep, and there's a tiny sadness in her gaze.

"I left," she says finally, "because I could not bear life on Earth without you any longer."

"What?"

She giggles and wipes her eyes with her palms, "You have not changed much, Richard. Even now, you are 'clueless'. Do you not remember our trip to Azarath?"

"Of course I do," He says, brushing away a stray tear with his thumb, "is that what you were all upset about?"

"I was...frustrated with the lack of stability between you and I. I wanted an _us_ and you wanted to push me away."

"You know why I did what I did, Kori," Dick says defensively, pulling his hand away from hers, "I don't regret it either. It meant you were safe-"

"It meant I was in pain," Kori interrupts in exasperation, "I loved you. I wanted to be with you. And every time I thought we were getting somewhere, every time we kissed and touched and wanted each other, you pulled back."

"Loved?" He asks, his heart beating faster with every second.

Kori opens her mouth, then closes it. "I- I don't know," she says softly, bringing her knees to her chest.

His blood runs cold, his brain demanding him to feign indifference to those words.

"You do. You always know what you're feeling."

"Richard, please. I do not think-"

"Just answer the question. Everything else...we can fix it, we can, I just need to hear you say the words. Kori," he grabs her hand and squeezes it, forcing her to meet his gaze, "I need to know. Do you love me?"

" _Richard,"_ she says weakly, "there is too much we need to resolve. I have so much to tell you all about Tamaran, and I fear that we will rush into something physical too soon."

"What if I said I didn't want something just physical?" The words tumble out of his mouth so quickly he doesn't realize he's said them out loud.

She freezes, mouth falling open.

"You don't mean-"

"I don't want to jump into anything yet," he says hurriedly, "but...these last few years have been hard, Kor. Almost impossible. And I think maybe it's time we try this - _us_ _-_ for real. Slowly."

Her eyes are shining with hope, and he feels a smile works its way onto his face.

"So be honest with me - do you love me?"

Kori gives him the tiniest nod. "More than anything".

He lets go of her hand and cups her cheek gently, leaning his forehead against hers.

"There is still a lot I must inform you about. Three years...Richard, Tamaran is different. I am different. Are you sure-"

"All I know," He says, "is that I've spent three years missing my best friend, and now that she's back, I don't plan on ever letting go."

"Do not say something you do not mean," She warns him, their warm breaths mixing in the chill of night air.

"I mean it," he promises, tucking her hair behind her ear.

He tilts his head to the side and leans in, brushing his lips against hers slowly.

"Richard," she whispers against his mouth, melting at his touch. His fingers dancing under the ends of her top, drawing smooth lines along her hip. It feels familiar and warm; like nothing has changed. It feels like they never fractured, never split, never had the gap of three long years between them.

She's making little noises that take him back all those years ago. Musical, beautiful, comfortable little rumbles and hums of appreciation when their mouths spark and her skin burns.

" _Aren't we supposed to be painting?"_

" _No."_

" _Kori-"_

" _No-o-o-o," she breathes, diving in for another kiss. He laughs and grips her bare thighs with paint covered hands, leaving streaks of silver and pale fluorescent colors on her skin. Brushes and cans are left discarded on crumpled tarp, the first hints of sunset streaming through curtained windows._

" _We should go," Dick mutters, breaking the kiss. She shakes her head and yanks him in again, her mouth trailing along the shell of his ear and down his jaw._

" _We have time," she insists._

" _The Titans will be back late tonight, Star, we need to finish painting - hmm - before they get ba-ack," he manages to say, shooting upwards with a yelp moments later. He stares at her incredulously. "Did you just bite me?"_

 _She grins, licking her lips with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "Did you not enjoy it?" She purrs back._

 _He gapes wide-eyed, much to her delight. She rises into the air, clutching her stomach as she breaks into a fit of giggles._

" _You really are too easy to tease, Richard," She says mirthfully._

 _Her laughter snaps him out of his shock, and he smiles back with the same devilish intent._

" _Oh really? Take this!" He grabs a paintbrush and flicks it in her direction, splattering fluorescent paint across her legs._

" _Do not start something you cannot follow through," she says, dipping her fingers in a paint can and throwing herself on top of him._

 _Her legs are on either side of his chest, her hands holding his arms to the floor with a firm grip._

" _I win!" She crows, only to be knocked onto her back skillfully, their positions reversed._

" _Nope," Dick replies leaning down to plant a kiss on her cheek, "I do. Come on, let's go see our sunset and finish after."_

" _Fine," she sniffs, hiding a smile when he helps her up and immediately pulls her into a deep kiss._

" _Mmm," Kori makes a noise of protest when he pulls away, sighing wistfully._

" _Shall we?" He offers her his hand, smile widening when she takes it._

" _You need not even ask."_

They break apart when his lungs - not hers, bless Alien Physiology - scream for air. Her fingers have wound themselves in his hair, his hands are clutching her hips tightly.

Kori raises her fingers to her swollen pink lips and blushes, "I do not think that should happen until we have truly had a talk. Not just you and I, all of us. Though there are things I must tell you first."

Dick takes note of the solemnity in her expression and exhales, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"I believe we should discuss things first regarding your last three years on Earth before I tell you about Tamaran. It is a long and difficult tale to recount and I am most anxious that you will-"

"Kori," he says gently, "breathe. I trust you. But truth be told, there isn't much to say. I moved to Blüdhaven. Tried the whole dating thing, only for the sake of Wally and the others," he puts in hastily, "and quit altogether. Nothing seemed to work, y'know?"

"Yes...I do," She says quietly, waiting for him to continue.

"Bruce - he's got a kid now, well, demon actually. Damian Wayne, son of Talia Al-Ghul. He came right before you left, I think you met him once or twice actually. Anyways, the little shit - sorry! Er, the child is an absolute maniac but he's an incredible fighter. Honestly, that's about as new as it gets for me."

"Do you enjoy Blüdhaven?"

"Oh, Star," his eyes light up. "It's almost everything I wanted and needed. I'm making a real difference every day, on my own."

"That sounds lonely."

"It can be quiet, I guess, and I miss my family a lot - I miss you a lot , but it could be worse," he says offhandedly. "So, what have I missed on your end?"

She purses her lips and draws away from him, fiddling with the hem of her shirt, "Quite a bit. Much of it I wish to share with the others, but I feel I should inform you of something before everyone else."

His brow furrows, "Okay?"

Kori takes a deep breath, closing her eyes, "Do you know who Karras is?"

"Not really. You've mentioned him a couple of times. Who is he?"

"A dear friend. Someone who has done many great things for me. Someone who is crucial to my story."

"Kori, this is all pretty cryptic. What is it?" Dick asks.

She shrinks back, gripping the edge of the tower tightly.

"Karras is my husband."

END

 **A/N:** And the subplot has been introduced…Jeremy Weaver and Alice Cardinal will have a hand in this story, but will play a larger role in the projected sequel that has been written out, so pay close attention kiddies!

I'm sure half of you are ready to strangle me and the rest are really confused with what just happened. It's okay, take a deep breath, go back and read it again. Chapter 4 shaped up to be a doozy, but a good look into what exactly happened those three years Kori spent on Tamaran.

Thank you all so much for your kind words! Remember to leave comments and critiques: I love, value, and want your thoughts, good and bad

My fabulous guest readers: **Fabio** , **emiliaroberts** , **Aliaroshan** , **Goatboy, vi** , **Guest, Robstar,** and **LovelyLottieLynn –** You guys are so sweet and I'm glad you're enjoying my story! Thank you for taking the time to review, it makes my day infinitely better every time.

Big thanks again to my fabulous beta, Cas, from fanfictionbetas. And Nightglider124, she's a brilliant writer and so incredibly kind. Love you both!

Until next time,

ZRC


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N IMPORTANT:** REPOST! My ever so lovely beta made the best edits ever :) New chapter will hopefully be up tomorrow night. I hope you guys enjoy this -expository- piece.

 **Dedicated** to **vi** , **Nightglider124** , and **Ruefully-yours**

Anyways, happy reading! More below...

Chapter IV

 _She's weak when she finally touches down on solid ground. Her knees shake, green smoke wafting from her arms and legs. Debris and blood crust her boots and guards, a fine layer of grime knotting her hair in disheveled clumps. Her uniform, torn, bares pallid skin littered with ugly bruises._

 _A sentry spots her not long after she collapses and hurries over, alerting the other watchmen hastily when he realizes who she is._

 _Her chest feels heavy and tight, and as they help her to her feet, she can't help but feel as though the universe is swallowing her whole._

 _"X'hal," the Ayk'r says, bringing a fist to his heart, "Princess Koriand'r, what are you doing here? We did not expect your return."_

 _"I seek an audience with the Grand Ruler immediately," she says feebly, falling into his arms with a cry of pain._

 _"You require medical attention. Ayk'r Notu shall inform Emperor Galfore of your arrival at once. He will meet you in the infirmary."_

 _She opens her mouth to protest, but closes it as another spike of pain shoots up her leg._

 _"Very well. I require sunlight, I expelled large amounts of energy on my way here."_

 _The sentry takes her arm and rests it on his shoulder, helping her towards the entrance of the palace. "You did not stop to recharge? Princess, you know that is dangerous-"_

 _"With due respect, Ayk'r Raunu, I am preparing myself for a stern rebuking from the Grand Ruler. I do not believe I need it now."_

 _The Ayk'r smiles, adjusting his grip on her arm, "That is fair. Come, the palace has changed since you were last here. The infirmary is just ahead."_

 _They pass through the large double doors of the entryway and Kori is immediately aware of how different her old home has become. The interior of the palace has been opened, exquisite carvings and arches set into a wide, domed ceiling. Subtle motifs etched in the walls glimmer beneath the light of the hall. Kori marvels at the images, which depict ancient Tamaranean lore and legend. The Warlords of Okaara, the first Okyrr of Tamaran, the birth of X'hal, the triumph at Zeneria X, all painstakingly carved into the palace with great care. Polished jewels gleam along the structural beams that stand tall at each corner of the circular room. Winding stairs just ahead make the true complexity of the architecture apparent, drawing her attention to the curling hallways that circle each level of the rotunda._

 _"The old audience chamber is now the grand hall. Emperor Galfore deemed the large space to be too extravagant for such private affairs, and asked for the chamber to be moved over there-" Ayk'r Raunu points to a smaller set of doors near the back of the hall, "which allowed for the expansion of public space and the addition of another medical bay."_

 _"It sounds like you have all been very busy," she says with a smile. They enter the hall quietly, crossing between the long dining tables which seat a handful of Tamaraneans. Most of them are too engrossed in conversation to notice the sentry and the princess striding towards them, but the few that do freeze up in surprise._

 _Kori gives a tiny wave and limps on, grateful when the doors to the infirmary swing open to let them in._

 _It's a large room with high ceilings, with several cots and medical cabinets lining the walls. Silver panels at the head and foot of each bed shine under the bright lights. Several men and women in blue are at work, organizing shelves and combining chemicals to create bottles of colorful liquid._

 _A tall woman with skin the color of umber and long brown hair is the first to notice their arrival. She places a fist to her heart and bows, not bothering to hide her shock. "X'hal, Princess Koriandr, Ayk'r Raunu," She says, drawing the attention of the other healers. A murmur of greetings and the faint thump of several fists-to-hearts reaches Kori's ears. She smiles tiredly at the woman._

 _"The princess has just arrived. Her energy is mostly depleted and she has a few injuries. I have sent for the Grand Ruler's presence," Ayk'r Raunu says, helping her onto a clean cot._

 _The woman nods, "Thank you, Ayk'r. We will take good care of her." She turns to the princess and touches her shoulder gently, "Princess Koriand'r- "_

 _"Kori. Please, formalities are not necessary."_

 _The older woman's lips twitch, "Very well, your highness. Kori, my name is Sunivur. I am the head healer in the new medical wing."_

 _She turns to the other healers and waves her hands, shooing them back to their stations._

 _"That is better," Sunivar says, watching them disperse. "Now," she begins, rolling up her sleeves, "would you please lie on your back?"_

 _Kori nods, wincing as she straightens herself on the cot, "I fear I may have done the injuring of several muscles. I am...strained in my movements."_

 _Sunivar nods and lifts up a clear plexus, tapping a few commands into it. The metal arches near Kori's head and her feet begin to whir, pale beams of light emanating over her body as they swipe over her, coming to meet near her stomach. The arches click once, then twice, before separating and returning to their places._

 _"Preliminary scans show that you are in excellent health. You have done some damage to the base of your spine, your arms, and your upper back. There are a few shallow lacerations near your stomach and back. You are also severely depleted of energy," Sunivar rattles off, scrolling through the report. "Neural activity...you are lacking several chemical components required for joy." Her brow furrows and she looks back at the woman on the cot, "How did you manage to use your flight from Earth till here without recharging? You know it is difficult to sustain flight, and while you have the touch of X'hal, I do not think it is wise to overestimate your abilities."_

 _Kori sighs, "It is a long story. One I believe the Grand Ruler must be present to hear as well."_

 _Sunivar touches her leg gently and tilts her head, "And what of these?" Her eyes trace the fresh bruises along the princess's skin, and her mouth is in a thin line as she studies the damage._

 _"Another hazard of traveling from Earth to Tamaran as quickly as I did," Kori says after a moment. "I do not feel as though I can say more until I have spoken with Emperor Galfore."_

 _Sunivar nods, "as you wish. I can only assist you in replenishing the energy you have lost. These bruises require extensive healing, and there is not enough time before your audience with the Grand Ruler."_

 _Kori furrows her brow in confusion, "My audience? He is not coming then?"_

 _Sunivar glances at the door before shaking her head, "It does not seem likely at the moment. Vykrn'e Karras will escort you."_

 _"Karras?"_

 _"He is waiting just outside these doors," Sunivar says, switching on the lamp above them, "now relax. This will only take a few moments."_

 _And so her first meeting with Karras occurs. Her skin mottled with bruises and faint scratches, dark bags under her tired eyes, and a distinct drag in her step._

 _"Princess Koriand'r," he says with a smile, cracking the shell around her heart just a bit, "I hope you were not too troubled in your arrival here."_

 _"Vykrn'e Karras," She nods respectfully, "they could have been worse. I do not mean to be rude, but where is the Grand Ruler?"_

 _"I shall explain everything while I take you to him. Shall we?"_

 _He offers her his arm and suddenly Kori is aware of just how handsome this man is. He is a few inches taller than her, with dark green eyes and hair the color of chocolate. His smile is warm and familiar, with the same boyish mischief she recognizes in the man she loves. Her chest tightens and once again, she misses home._

 _Nevertheless, she takes his arm and smiles back brightly. "We shall."_

* * *

"No."

"Richard-"

"No...no no no no," he grabs her shoulders and pulls her into him, placing his face in the curve of her neck and collarbone, "I can't be too late."

"You do not understand-"

"I waited too long," he groans, clutching at her as if she might disappear, "I can't - I shouldn't...of course you weren't going to wait forever, I'm a selfish bastard-"

"Richard!" She exclaims reproachfully, forcing him to fall silent. Kori takes his hands into hers and sighs. "It is not what you think. Let me explain, please."

She isn't sure if he complies because he's at a loss for words or because he needs to hear something, anything, else.

"Okay," Dick says quietly.

"Karras and I are married," she begins, choosing her words carefully, "but it is purely diplomatic. There are many Tamaranean customs that you are unaware of and will never truly understand, Richard. This is one of them."

"Galfore forced you two to marry?"

"No," Star says, shaking her head, "In fact, he protested the engagement. But as you know, by returning to Tamaran, I put myself in a position where, at the request of the politicians, I could be-"

"Engaged to anyone by their will," Dick says flatly, "and this 'Karras'. That's who they chose?"

"Yes and no," She says, hesitating. "Richard, as I said before, there are many things I must discuss with you and the others before I can truly choose to settle here. Things that may change the way you perceive me."

"I'm not one to judge, Kori. But I think I deserve to know whether or not you're actually single."

Her blood chills at his tone, the icy feeling of dread dripping over her.

"Richard-"

"Please, Star. The truth."

She twists her fingers nervously, turning her gaze to the dark horizon.

"Very well," Kori says heavily. "After I abdicated the throne and crowned Galfore as the new Grand Ruler, an heir was needed. Galfore currently has no children of his own, and even if he did, there would need to be someone of age and skill to take over should a situation arise. One young man or woman from each of the noble houses was given the opportunity to be nominated as the new heir. Karras had a strong history of being an asset to Tamaran on and off the battlefield. He was intelligent and brave and kind."

"And attractive, no doubt, " Dick mutters under his breath.

"I suppose so," Kori says, rolling her eyes, "but it is irrelevant. Galfore chose to raise Karras to the status of Vykrn'e, which officially made him to be a prince of Tamaran. He was one of the first person I met with when I returned."

"My first few months were easy. Karras was a good friend to me: he helped me around the palace while I healed from...well, a number of things. Which I will explain later," she adds hastily, noting the stony look on Dick's face, "Galfore did everything that he could to stave off the demands for my hand, but in the end, the politicians won out. I was given a choice- marry someone by my own volition, or allow a suitor to be chosen for me. And so...I picked Karras."

"Do you love him?"

Kori smiles and shakes her head, "As a dear friend, but nothing more. I believe that is why we work so well together. He is in love with a woman named Kayl'ahr. And I never fell out of love with you."

Dick is silent, deep in contemplation of everything she has just told him.

"So you and Karras are married. I'm assuming that means the two of you are...were physical at some point."

"Oh- well, yes," Kori says stricken, drawing back nervously, "but I do not think...x'hal I did not think - I did not realize-"

"It's okay," he says quietly.

She blinks, mouth falling open in surprise, "What?"

He gives her a slow, sad smile, leaning back on his hands, "I was an idiot. You got married. It's not fair for me to assume that you would just wait forever. And it's not like I didn't try dating."

"Then...you are not upset?" She asks hopefully.

Dick shakes his head, "Didn't say that. But I'm trying to be better." For you, he adds mentally, not daring to speak those words aloud.

"I was afraid you would be furious," Kori says quietly, hugging herself tightly, "Even though I only wanted you."

His heart leaps at those words and he has to fight to maintain his composure.

"Three years changes a lot." He hesitates, then says, "which is why I need time to think."

He can see panic erupt across her face, but before she can say anything, he catches her lips with his own.

It's gentle, easy kissing. He calms her with his familiar urgency, the feeling of his hands along her skin lulling her to a peaceful state. She tangles her fingers in his hair, letting out a quiet giggle when their noses bump.

"You said so yourself, this is a lot to take in and I'm sure there's more you have yet to tell me," he whispers when the spell is broken, "I have to think...but I don't want you to worry."

"Everything has changed," she replies, leaning her forehead against his, "so how can I not?"

They stay like that in silence for a while longer, eyes closed, tangled together in their frozen moment. Darkness drips along the horizon, making the glint of the stars above them more obvious. Her fingers curl against his chest, her breath warm on his neck. He's tracing shapes on her back, drawing squiggles and smiles and suns.

I'm a sap, he thinks, closing his eyes and smiling and hoping that they can be together after all this. If Karras had been a crush, a boyfriend, a former lover, hell, a fiancé, he would've been able to handle it. Husband territory...it scares him. On many levels.

He trusts Kori. He knows that if she says she doesn't love him, she truly doesn't love him. And maybe she's right, maybe it's of no importance. Maybe they can forget about Karras and be happy. Maybe they can move in together and build a relationship, maybe he'll get over all of his issues and fears and let himself feel for once, maybe he should stop thinking goddammit just enjoy the moment.

The roar of an engine along the road leading to the tower pulls them out of their bubble. Dick cranes his neck over the edge and grins, breaking the solemn mood.

"He's back."

Kori squeals with delight, shooting into the air, "Tim!"

Dick chuckles as she twirls above him before coming to a slight float at his side.

"Richard, I do not want to leave things bad between us," she says concernedly, her smile fading.

He shakes his head and cups her cheeks gently, "they could never be bad, Kor. Messy, maybe. Hurt, yeah. But not bad. I just need to think through this a little bit."

"I understand," she says, nuzzling into his palm.

He leans in, touching his lips to her forehead lightly before pulling away.

"We can talk later. I know you're excited to see the kids."

"Oh my god," Gar croaks, wiping away a tear as the credits from Wild Nights roll down the screen, "that was incredible. So raw."

"So powerful," Victor adds, sniffling beside his dry-eyed wife, "Rae, Sarah, how aren't either of y'all destroyed right now?"

Raven eyes him critically, her lips twitching with the beginnings of a smile, "well for one, it was a comedy. DiMarco's death was predictable. Laura Kennedy's acting was the same as usual."

Sarah touches her husband's' shoulder comfortingly, holding back a giggle, "I suppose Raven and I couldn't connect with it the way you two did."

"Heartless," Gar huffs, rising from the couch to go eject the DVD. "What's next?"

"Moving on so soon? Don't you need some time to recover?" Raven asks innocently while Sarah snickers behind her hand, "you know, emotionally."

"What better way than with a new flick, mama?" He replies with a grin, "I guess we'll have to hold off on the good stuff since somebody refuses to go to sleep." Gar shoots his daughters a pointed glare, softening when he hears them gurgling happily.

Sarah giggles, "They're six months old, Gar, you can hardly blame them-" only to be cut off by the beeping of the elevator door.

There's the sound of a loud thud and the doors slide open, revealing a tangled mess of boys mid-brawl and two exasperated girls.

"We can't go anywhere with you two, can we?" The blonde one mutters angrily, sticking her hand into jumble of teens. She yanks hard, freeing one of them forcefully and dragging them out of the elevator.

"Bart Allen, you idiot," She hisses, releasing him near the sofa. "Hi Gar, hi Raven," she adds, sparing them a friendly smile, before turning murderous before the boy.

"Hi Arty, 'sup Bart," Gar says cheerily, throwing an arm around his wife, "how was your day out?"

"Better before their little pissing contest," Artemis seethes. Bart cowers beneath her, eyes darting around the room for an escape. He gulps nervously and zooms off, much to her infuriation.

"Ugh!" She groans, storming off towards her room.

"Ah, memories," Raven smirks, leaning into Gar's embrace, "Sarah, remember when we were like that?"

"I think by 'we' you mean the boys," Sarah teases, giggling when the changeling protests.

"And by 'the boys' you mean these two."

"Hey!" Gar interjects, "Dick was in on it too."

"Yeah, man, dude was always getting into shit with us."

"Oh please," Raven rolls her eyes, "he was too busy making heart eyes at Starfire."

"Agreed," Sarah puts in, craning her neck to see the rest of the kids, "what, no 'hello'?" she calls out expectantly.

Two boys step out of the elevator sheepishly, quick apologies muttered under their breaths as they are followed by an irked alien girl.

"Hi Sarah, Vic. Hello Raven and Gar," M'gann says shyly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Conner clears his throat and helps Tim up from the floor, the pair of them brushing off their pants.

"Hi guys," he says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "sorry you had to see all that."

"You're forgiven if we get an explanation," Sarah says, turning her attention to the boy who has yet to speak, "Tim?"

"It's a long story," he replies with a grin, "one I'll share after I've showered off. Save me some pizza?"

"Us too," Conner puts in, taking M'ganns hand in his, "please and thank you."

Bart zips into the room enthusiastically with an incensed Artemis at his heels, "Did I hear 'pizza'? Arte- ow! Babe, don't hit me-"

"The resemblance is uncanny," Sarah mutters, glancing at Raven and Gar.

The empath snickers behind her hand. "How time flies."

"Just don't use all the hot water. We got some extra people spendin' the night," Vic reminds them.

"A sleepover?" Tim asks interestedly, "Is Dick coming too?"

"As a matter of fact, he's already here," a new voice announces from behind.

Tim barely has time to register the appearance of his older brother when a blur of red and purple tackles him.

"Is that-"

"Didn't she go back to-"

He lands on the floor with a loud thump, smiling from ear to ear when he recognizes his attacker.

"Tim!" She squeals, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

"Need - to - breathe - Kori," he gasps out, letting out a sigh of relief when she releases him from her grasp.

"You have grown so much!" Kori exclaims, ruffling his hair gently.

He blushes and looks away, avoiding the amused looks in his teammates faces.

"Alright, Star, give him a break," Dick says with a laugh. Kori floats off the boy, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"My apologies," she says with a sad smile, "I have missed you very much." She offers him her hand and helps him off the ground, taking in the subtle differences in his height and face and smile.

"I missed you too," Tim replies, leaning against the arm of the couch.

"We all have," Sarah adds, followed by a chorus of agreement from the others in the room.

"It's good to see you again, Starfire," Conner says kindly, holding out his hand expectantly. Her eyes light up as she takes it.

"It is wonderful to see you all! M'gann, Artemis, Bart - I have heard wonderful things about your progress from Vic."

"Good, the way he kicks our ass in training should amount to some sort of praise," the young speedster says, rolling his eyes.

"Speaking of training," Vic puts in loudly, "early start tomorrow. Head to bed, y'all, Star will still be here in the morning."

"What about pizza?"

"Shower, eat pizza, then get some sleep. We've got some guest trainers tomorrow, and you're gonna wanna keep up with them," he says, his human eye glinting mischievously.

Raven rises from the couch, bending over to scoop up her dark haired daughter, "I need to go put the girls to bed anyways. Kori, want to help?"

"I would love to."

Sarah lifts Lilith from the ground and smacks a kiss on her cheek, much to the child's joy. Kori settles the green eyed girl on her hip, heart swelling when Lilith curls up against her.

"That's our cue to go as well, I guess," Tim says, yawning loudly, "I call the first shower!"

"I call second!"

"You always go second, Conner."

"Because you always take an hour, Allen."

"What's wrong with wanting to take my time?"

"Nothing except-"

Artemis rolls her eyes and links arms with M'gann, tugging her away from the argument, "if we leave now, we can each take a shower before they use up all the body wash."

"When do you think they'll realize we have enough bathrooms for all of us to take showers?"

The huntress shrugs, "Once they've thrown a few punches and wrestled around for a bit."

"Is this a regular occurrence?" Kori asks, amused by the sight of the young men bickering.

"Yup. As you can imagine, there's never a dull moment here," Sarah says, wincing when Bart throws himself atop Conner.

"Or a quiet one," Artemis mumbles, dragging M'gann off towards their rooms.

"We should go too, I'd like to put the girls down before the idiots rile them up," Raven says, stroking Arella's cheek gently. Kori adjusts her grip on Lilith and follows her, glancing at Dick with uncertainty. She isn't sure who else has noticed the pensive look in his eyes or the way his mouth turns down when attention is off of him. Gar, Vic, and Sarah sit engrossed in conversation once more, paying no mind to the fight that's broken out near the television, while Dick stands off to the side, deep in thought.

She knows that look, and she wonders if she should ask him about it.

He catches her eye as the door slides shut behind her, his lips quirking up in a tiny smile that sparks inside her ribs.

"It's just down this hallway; all of our rooms, except for yours, were renovated."

"I have noticed. Sarah told me that Richard was unable to remove my things."

"He was waiting for you to come back," Raven says, punching in the code to her room, "We all were."

"Raven-"

"It's okay, Star, I just...I want to talk to you about it."

"I understand," Kori says softly, glancing around the room. It's dark purple, similar to the color of Raven's old room, with gossamer curtains acting as thin veils on the windows. A large master bed is placed against the wall, a short shelf of books resting on one side and a simple set of drawers on the other. A plain white crib rests against the opposite wall, a dangling mobile of gems and stars hanging above it.

"You received my gifts?"

Raven smiles and sets Arella down in the crib, fluffing the stuffed animals around her, "the mobiles and outfits were absolutely gorgeous. We keep one here and one at home."

"Home," Kori echoes, laying Lilith down beside her sister gently, smiling as the two instinctively curl into each other.

"The last time you were here, we'd just started packing to move into the apartment," Raven says quietly, taking a seat on the bed, "It must be strange to think that Gar and I have a little house in Severa City."

"Much has changed since the last time I was here, for better or for worse," Kori replies, sitting down beside her friend.

"You mean Dick."

"I mean everything. You are all different, you have lives and families and cities to protect. You do not need reminders of the past. You do not need me."

"Kori," Raven says sharply, taking her by the hand, "I don't think you realize how impossible these last six months have been. No transmissions, no messages - the only reason we knew you were alive was because Galfore would have told us otherwise."

"And I am sorry for that but-"

"That doesn't fix anything!"

Kori pulls away, startled by the empath's outburst. Raven sighs and rubs her face tiredly.

"We're your family, Starfire. We can live in a world without you, but we don't want to. I want my daughters to know their Aunt, and I want to know your children one day. No matter how much things change, you can't let go of family," she places a hand on Kori's shoulder hesitantly, "I shouldn't have yelled. I don't know why you were silent for so long but you must have had your reasons. I'm sorry."

"Oh Raven," Kori draws her hands up to her mouth, eyes shining with unshed tears, "I should not have stayed away for so long. I did not know what else to do or where I would go, and my heart ached whenever I thought of any of you."

"Where have you been the past six months? What have you been doing? You were never very specific in your transmissions, except when Blackfire returned."

Kori hesitates, "There were complications with my arrival on Tamaran. Political ramifications ensued. Believe me, Raven, I promise to tell you everything, but I need to share them with all of you."

Raven purses her lips, eyes narrowed questioningly, "Okay."

Kori smiles and makes a move to rise, only to be stopped by Raven's hand gripping her wrist.

"Wait. You never told me why you left the first time."

"Yes I did, we had the conversation-"

"No," Raven shakes her head, "why you left so abruptly."

Kori stills, mouth flattening into a straight line.

"I'd been keeping a lock on your emotions in the weeks leading up to that day, waiting for the shift. The sadness," she continues, regarding the fire haired girl carefully, "you were fine that day. Happier than you had been in a long while. So what changed?"

Kori remains silent, burning holes in the floor with her set gaze.

"Azar, Starfire, it's me!" Raven snaps, the gem on her forehead flaring red for a moment.

The princess furrows her brow, "Your gem is-"

"We aren't talking about my gem, we're talking about you. I promise to tell you everything you've missed, but you owe me this. I lost you five years ago, I think I deserve to know why."

"He told me he loved me," Kori says in a barely perceptible whisper.

Raven's eyes widen, her hand dropping from the other woman's arm, "What?"

"He was falling asleep and he told me he loved me. That was when I realized I needed to leave."

"I don't understand. I thought that's what you wanted - you love him."

"Raven," Kori begins sadly, "if I had stayed, do you know what would have happened?"

"There's no way of knowing for certain-"

"Because I do," she interrupts, "I know that Richard would cling to me but deny our relationship. I know that Vic and Sarah would soon move out, as would you and Gar, and it would be Richard and I alone in the tower. I know he would eventually transfer to Blüdhaven and would ask me to come with him. And because I love him, I would," her voice cracks for moment, "and then he would begin seeing other women, women with safe, normal lives. He would slowly move on from me, happy to be with someone he could forever protect and watch over. Or he would never accept us as something real, and the games would continue in that cold unfamiliar city. It would be home, but not to me."

"Starfire-"

Kori cuts her off and holds up her hand, "Raven, please," she pleads, "I need to you understand. I was not willing to hold him back from his future. He needed to be free of me, he needed to move on. You all were in need of the push. My leaving offered you that, and though it pained us all deeply, I will not apologize for it."

"You don't have to, Star," Raven says soberly, "I'm not even angry, I promise. I just wondered. Come here," her lips quirk up in a smile as she opens her arms invitingly.

"Love has changed you greatly," Kori comments, her own beam contrasting with her watery eyes. She presses her face against Raven's shoulder, "I do not know where Dick and I stand," she says in muffled tones.

"Oh?"

"We did the talking and things were going well, but there was something I informed him of that none of you will like."

"I see."

Kori pulls away and wipes her eyes, "It is not bad, I promise. Simply...surprising. I will tell you all tomorrow."

Raven studies her intensely, before nodding, "I understand. Whatever it is, it's big."

A gentle knock at the door breaks the moment, followed by Sarah's voice earnestly reminding them of the film Gar is putting on.

"We'll be right out," Raven replies, her eyes fixed on Kori. "You good?"

"I am fine," Kori assures her, rising from the bed. She casts the twins a look of love touched by sadness, and Raven can see the longing in her eyes for such certainty.

 _"Do you plan on having children someday, princess?" the usstra sneers, glaring down at her through furious amber eyes, "The blood of And'r flows through your veins, blood blessed by the touch of X'hal. The responsibility of transferring such a gift cannot be placed in the hands of a human."_

 _"It does not matter with whom I choose to procreate, usstra Ridor," Kori spits, her eyes flashing dangerously, "I will not be subjected to the archaic rulings of this court."_

 _Ridor fumes, turning to the Emperor angrily, "Grand Ruler-"_

 _"Ridor, you are aware of my stance on this issue. I believe Koriand'r deserves the right to choose her own husband."_

 _"She abdicated the throne," he hisses back, "she is required to marry a member of the noble class. And even if she was not, the lineage of And'r and the powers they possess must be protected in pure blood."_

 _Kori feels her insides twist sharply, the tension at the table of politicians almost unbearably thick. Five members from the noble houses of Tamaran, the usstra, sit in a row on the left side of the Grand Ruler, his left side flanked by two generals and the naktu, his three royal advisors._

 _"Perhaps," usstra Gefsun begins, "Koriand'r can choose the Tamaranean noble she desires. That is worth something, yes?"_

 _A murmur of agreement rises from the row of usstras while Galfore strokes his beard thoughtfully._

 _"General Khyrer, So'znn, what are your thoughts?"_

 _Khyrer hesitates, sharing a glance with the younger man beside him, "We do not care much for civil disputes such as this, and ordinarily I believe we would argue in the princess's favor. However, there have been no royal amendments to such by-laws, and so in good conscience, we cannot go against the rulings of court. It is only fair. I am sorry, Koriand'r." He adds apologetically._

 _She sighs but says nothing, turning to face the naktu in earnest._

 _"Ruonn, Aevy'r, Tylehr, have you had enough time to deliberate?" Galfore asks, his gaze fixed on the young woman ahead. Her eyes betray the rigid stance she's taken, a cold fear evident in their shine._

 _"Yes, Grand Ruler. We have reached a consensus," Aevy'r announces, rising from his seat. "As General Khyrer pointed out, there has been no previous legislation to rectify this ruling. While we do not feel the ruling is of importance in the present age, we cannot support an act against a law that has yet to be repealed. We advise that Koriand'r choose her husband, but she must, indeed, wed within one month, or else be banished from Tamaran."_

 _Her blood freezes, the words slowing down as the room begins to spin._

 _Galfore, with a heavy sigh, nods and rises from his own seat, "It is in the opinion of the Grand Ruler and his board of trusted advisors, that despite the deliberation which has occurred, the old ruling remains. Koriand'r will be wed within four cycles to a nobleman of her choosing. The royal court is thus adjourned."_

 _The politicians take care to avoid her cold gaze, filing out of the hall as quickly as possible. Galfore sighs, rubbing his face tiredly as he leans back in his chair._

 _"I dislike this very much, my bumgorf, but I am afraid I cannot do anything more."_

 _"That is alright," Kori says wearily, tears welling up in her eyes. She brushes them away hastily, approaching the table slowly._

 _"It is only I, Koriand'r," Galfore says quietly, reaching out to touch her chin, "you may show weakness before your k'norfka."_

 _She crumples immediately, flinging off her crown and sinking to her knees. Hard sobs wrack her body, her insides feeling knotted and tight. She sniffles, her weeping coming to an end as a pair of hands settle on her shoulders._

 _"Karras," Galfore warns, imploring the man to back away._

 _"It is alright," Karras insists, helping the princess up. He hesitates, then wraps her in a hug, resting his chin on her head._

 _"This is how humans show affection, correct?"_

 _She lets out a choked giggle and nods, "yes it is. I appreciate the gesture. But," she pulls away, composing herself as best she can, "it is of no use. There is nothing that can be changed. I will be forced to wed either someone of my choosing or someone of theirs by the next month's time."_

 _Karras swivels around to face Galfore, running a hand through his dark hair, "They refused her request?"_

 _"There was no prior legislation to help our case. And usstras Ridor and Fenin'l were quite vocal about their desire to see her abilities passed down into a noble family."_

 _"Those arrogant clorbags," Karras seethes, "they are well aware that you do not need a husband to help Tamaran in this war against-"_

 _"It does not matter, Karras," Kori interrupts, spying her discarded crown near the other end of the table. She makes her way to it, smiling at the sight of a dent in its metal surface, "the decision has been made. I am to find a husband for myself so that Tamaran can proceed with the current political affairs."_

 _"Marry me," Karras blurts._

 _Kori stills, mouth falling open in surprise, "What?"_

 _"Karras, do not say something you will not be able to take back," Galfore reminds him, watching on with wide eyes._

 _"Think about it, Kori, I was being groomed as heir anyways. We will marry and be able to lead Tamaran to victory. And then you shall return to Earth."_

 _"What about Kayl'ahr?"_

 _Karras's smile dims for a moment before returning, "she and I both knew of the difficulties in my being a noble. She will understand, and will not let this ruin your relationship with her. And I am certain you will have no qualms about me seeing her?"_

 _Kori smirks, punching him in the shoulder playfully, "Vosutu," she coos, "I appreciate this. But I cannot-"_

 _"You must," Karras says seriously, "I am sure the Grand Ruler would agree."_

 _"If it makes you happy, Koriand'r," Galfore responded, watching the young woman carefully._

 _"I...I do not know what to say. A political alliance such as ours-" Kori breaks off, and she can see Nightwing again, his Earth-Sky eyes and dimpled smirk enticing and beautiful as ever._

 _Karras touches her cheek, "It would be good for all of us. You are my friend, as you often say, Koriand'r. Let me share your burdens."_

A lone teardrop slides down her cheek as she stares at the sleeping babies, her heart aching for her dear friend. The door slides open, snapping her out of her state as Sarah walks in. The blonde woman hares a cautious glance with the empath.

"Ready to go, Kori?" She asks.

"Yes," the Tamaranean says quickly, feigning happiness, "let us do the movie night!"

"It's horror, you know."

"Wonderful! I have not seen the horror movies in quite a while, I am certain it will be an enjoyable experience for us all."

* * *

It's not. Kori sits beside Dick, her grasp on his arm tightening with every loud noise emitted from the scream.

"Ease up, Star," he murmurs, prying her fingers off of his bicep and taking her hand in his, "it's all fake."

"I know that," she replies ruefully, letting out a squeak as a door slams shut.

He chuckles but keeps his gaze forward, trying not to think about the girl beside him, but he fails miserably. Their conversation on the rooftop has thrown his brain into overdrive looking for solutions, working through the initial shock.

She's married. It might be diplomatic, she might not love him, but at the end of the day, she's his wife. Would she be willing to nullify the union for him? Is it even valid on Earth? Is she worth it all?

Fire flares up in his veins at those words because he knows she is worth more than just this. He loves her. They'll make it work.

But at the back of his mind, she could still never be him.

"Richard," she says into his ear, concern evident in her tone, "what is it?"

He shakes his head and gives her a half-smile, "nothing."

Her eyes narrow, and she is obviously unimpressed by the lie, "Richard-"

"Just come here," he says, placing an arm around her shoulders. She stills before snuggling into his side, another 'eep' of fright tearing from her lips.

"Yo, we get it, y'all like each other, movie ain't over yet," Vic says loudly, wiggling his eyebrows.

"How would you know? You've been making out with Sarah the entire time," Dick shoots back with a grin.

Sarah blushes, hiding her face in her husbands arm.

"You've both been gross," Raven cuts in, lifting her head from Gar's shoulder, "now shut up. Dick Grayson if you finish that thought, I swear to Azar-" Her eyes glow menacingly as Dick rears back, and whatever he was planning on saying dies on his lips instantly.

"No fair, you read my mind!"

"Richard," Starfire shushes him, clapping a hand over her mouth to hide her giggles.

"Yeah, Richie-poo, shoooooosh," Vic guffaws.

Two black bands of energy slap themselves across the mouths of the men, effectively silencing them save for the muffled sounds of indignation.

"Thanks mama," Gar says distractedly, eyes glued to the gory mess on the screen.

Dick shoots him a glare, tugging on the black band in vain hope of loosening it.

"You should have listened," Starfire says under her breath cheekily, earning an incredulous look from the man beside her. She leans up and brushes her lips across his cheek gently before taking his hand back in hers.

Fifteen minutes later, there is final shot of a screaming woman before everything goes black and the credits for Bloody Murder IV begin to roll. They sit in shock for a minute, Starfire's hands clutching Dick's sleeve tightly. Sarah covers her eyes with Victor's arm, while he sits mouth agape.

"Oh my god," Gar breathes, scrambling for the remote to eject the DVD, "that was so fucking-"

"Bloody."

"Terrifying?"

"Scarring?"

"Cool!" he exclaims, "Guys we gotta watch something else!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Sarah mumbles, rising from the couch, "Gore gets to me a bit."

"That was truly the most frightening thing I have seen in a long time," Starfire shivers, releasing Dick's arm from her grasp.

"Mmmph-" Dick grunts, pointing to the black band across his lips. Raven smirks, raising her hand.

"I almost forgot about that. Too bad, I liked you both better that way."

Vic pouts, rubbing his jaw, "mean, Rae. Just mean."

She shrugs unapologetically, "don't talk during the movie next time."

"Guys," Sarah calls from the kitchen, shutting off the sink, "I think there's a call coming in." She points to the console beneath the television screen, a green light blinking on and off on its surface.

"Looks like it's the Watchtower, Vic," Dick remarks, before turning to Starfire, "You expecting a message?"

She shakes her head, "No, I do not think so."

Vic lifts his arm and flips open a panel, fiddling with the screen, "call's indirect," he says with a frown, turning to face Starfire, "looks like someone is transmitting from Tamaran and the Watchtower is connecting us with them. Does this need to be private?"

She sighs and turns to Dick, who merely shrugs. "No, I do not think so."

Vic taps his console again, transferring the call to the screen. There's a loud beep and suddenly her loving k'norfka is there, smiling down at her with happy eyes.

"X'hal Koriand'r," Galfore says happily, placing his fist to his heart, "and your friends. I have not seen you all in quite a while."

"X'hal Galfore!" Star exclaims joyfully, followed by a chorus of hellos from the others, "how are things?"

"You have only been gone a day, I assure you we are more than capable of completing your duties," he replies mildly, glancing over his shoulder, "Karras and Komand'r would like to speak with you as well. I only wished to do the checking in."

"Oh, Galfore-"

"We shall speak later, Kori, Komand'r is very insistent- oof!" His grinning face disappears for a moment, and a loud thud is overheard. "Kom!" He roars with laughter, the older girls smiling face coming into view.

"Oops," Blackfire says with a grin, turning her attentions to the former titans, "hello, sister. Cyborg, Raven, Changeling, Blondie," she flicks her eyes to Starfire before purring the word, "Nightwing."

Dick clears his throat and steps back, angling his body behind Star's.

"Hello Kom," Starfire crosses her arms, "must you flirt?"

"Oh, sweetie, that's not flirting. But I can show you what is," she winks playfully, laughing when her younger sister pulls a face, "chill out, I'm teasing. Kayl'ahr asked me to tell you that your bed is very comfortable."

Starfire gasps, drawing her hands up to her mouth mirthfully, "Oh Komi, she did not!"

Blackfire snickers, "you're right, but it wouldn't have been very surprising. I'm surprised she and Karras didn't start going at it the moment you left."

"She is not the insatiable one," Star replies with a grin, "is she there?"

"No, she sends her best wishes though. There's a new training program in the infirmary, and since she's working her way up to a higher rank, she's gonna be busy for a bit. Karras is here too though."

"Please tell him to stop worrying, I called him when I arrived as promised and he need not bother me," Starfire says exasperatedly, throwing her hands into the air.

"Tell him yourself," Blackfire suggests, "Catch you later, kids." She blows a kiss and moves offscreen, allowing Karras to have his turn.

Dick steps out from behind Starfire immediately, studying the man on the screen. He's far more attractive than the skletchhh from all those years ago. A straight jaw, kind eyes the color of forests and dark brown hair. He smiles brightly at his wife and her friends, and Dick is overcome by a sinking feeling: Karras is a good man.

"Karras, you are such a drakhtre," Starfire spits, the venom in her voice surprising the others, "I have told you repeatedly to leave me alone, I am fine."

He holds up his hands and rolls his eyes, "forgive me for watching out for my wife, Kori," he shoots back, the corners of his mouth betraying the seriousness of his tone.

"Wife?" Vic wonders out loud. Raven's gem flares, her mouth falling open in surprise. Sarah and Gar share a glance and turn to Dick, immediately gauging his reaction.

He smiles in spite of the fist around his heart and mouths, "I knew", calming them immediately.

"Vosutu."

"Is that the only insult you know?"

"It is the only one that truly fits you," Star responds much to Karras's amusement, "now, was there a purpose to this call. Surely you do not need me while Kayl'ahr is with you."

"Kailar?" Gar asks, turning to Dick.

"His girlfriend," the young man mumbles back, watching Starfire and her husband carefully.

"Alas," Karras says dramatically, inciting giggles from girl, "she does not compare to the likes of you. Do you intend to introduce me to your friends? Or have you not yet informed them of who I am?"

With scarlet cheeks, Starfire clears her throat and turns to the ex-Titans, gesturing to the screen, "This is my...husband, Karras. He is of the 'man-whore' and idiotic variety," she says pleasantly. Karras bursts into laughter, shaking his head.

"You have not taught me much Earth slang, but I am aware of what that means. We shall talk sometime soon. Re'kalia, Kori."

"Re'kalia, vosutu." She returns charmingly, sighing with relief when the screen goes black.

"I apologize for the interruption, friends, perhaps we can watch-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, Star. Husband?" Vic exclaims, sinking onto the couch. Raven closes her eyes, breathing deep before releasing a spark of red from her forehead. She opens her eyes and takes a seat beside him, waiting for the Tamaranean girl's answer.

"I was hoping you might have missed that," she says meekly.

"So many questions, like when was the wedding, and why weren't we invited, and you got married? Seriously?!"

"I am sorry, Gar. And Sarah, and Victor, and Raven. I had already discussed it with Dick and was planning on informing you of my nuptials tomorrow at some point. It is...a long story."

"The night is young," Raven says drily, placing her legs on the coffee table.

Starfire glances at Dick who nods encouragingly and takes a seat beside Sarah.

"Well...when I abdicated the throne I made myself vulnerable to a series of statutes designated for former royals seeking aid from Tamaran. In order to reclaim the throne or hold any place in the court, I must marry a member of the noble or royal houses. These clauses are very old and few believe it is necessary to follow through with them. The politicians on Tamaran, however, are ruthless and will do whatever they must to secure what is best for their families."

"When I returned home, Galfore and I worked to stave off their demands that I marry. He had appointed a young man of noble status to be his heir, and given my history with our planet's politics, he enlisted both of us in removing a great threat to our world. Not a month later did the force of the usstras come raining down. I was brought to the council and they decided I had a month to wed by my choosing or theirs, or else face banishment for eternity. And then the young man, despite having a lover of his own, decided that he would stand by me."

Starfire sighs, twisting the ends of her hair nervously, "We are two friends married for diplomatic purposes, in matrimony that Earth does not consider legal. That is the extent of my relationship with him."

Raven is the first to speak, rising from the couch and moving towards Starfire. She touches her shoulder gently, "is that it?"

Starfire shakes her head, "in truth, there is much more I must share with all of you," she glances at Dick, "and I swear I will. But my marriage to Karras is the worst of it."

"Take your time," Raven says quietly, squeezing her hand.

"We understand," Sarah adds comfortingly, letting out a tiny yawn.

"It's been a long day, y'all, we should head to bed. Don't worry, Star," Vic says kindly, kissing her cheek, "you'll tell us when you're ready."

"True that," Gar follows suit before morphing into a hummingbird and zipping out of the room. Raven rolls her eyes and goes after him, muttering something about damned changelings.

"They are upset," Starfire says fearfully. Dick shakes his head, taking her hand in his.

"Nah, just surprised. It's a lot to take in."

"Is it...too much?"

He smiles, "no, never too much."

She leads him into the hall, sleep hitting her hard and fast as they stumble towards her room. He doesn't care, and it thrills her to know he still wants her, still loves her through it all.

"My room? Just to sleep?" She suggests shyly, beaming from ear to ear when he agrees and follows her in. He shrugs off his pants and top and crawls into bed in boxers, watching her unashamedly as she throws on her nightshirt. His eyes trace the newer scars that mar her body, his brow furrowing as he spies a jagged line along her back. There are others too, familiar ones, like the faint scratch on her thigh from their fight with Plasmus five years ago. A paler patch of skin from exposure to chemicals in Professor Chang's lab from before.

She catches his eyes and grins when he looks away. She lifts the covers and slides under them, lying on her side so they face each other.

"I thought you wanted to take it slow," she mumbles playfully.

He shrugs, "nothing I haven't seen before."

Her wicked grin betrays her thoughts as her hands dance along his waistline.

"Nice try," he says, guiding her wrists back up to his chest, "no funny business."

"There is nothing amusing about-"

"Kori," he warns, smiling when she bursts into giggles.

"Even after all this time, you are too easy to tease."

She's really, truly stunning, with bright eyes and the cute dimples at the corners of her mouth, her waterfall of fire-red hair, the bell-like sounds of her laugh.

And he's an impulsive idiot when he said, "Move in with me."

She sobers up immediately, "What?"

He hesitates but says it again.

"Richard, we should not. You need time to adjust to me and Karras. And I must adjust to Earth."

"Adjust in Blüdhaven with me," he begs, heart cracking when she says no.

"I love you, Richard, but you know that I must figure out my life here first, my life with you, before we make any drastic changes."

He curses her logic but smiles anyways, "Right...shit, I'm sorry, Kori, I don't know why I said that. I've just missed you so much. "

She leans up nervously, waiting for him to close the gap when she whispers, "I have missed you too beloved."

Their lips meet beneath the old constellations they once painted together, Andromeda's glimmering eyes winking down at them from above. It's frantic and messy, and it's all about the claim. His mouth is everywhere, painting her with uneven strokes of emotion. Love across her mouth, pain near her collarbone, hurt by her cheek. Eventually it slows down into smooth, melted kisses that simmer and warm them but do not burn.

"When you're ready," Dick says quietly, resting his forehead against hers.

 _"Are you ready?" He asks, taking her hand as they stand on the balcony, overlooking the masses below._

 _"No," she breathes, turning to him nervously, "are you?"_

 _"I'm terrified," he says with a laugh, raising their joined hands into the air. The throngs cheer loudly, silvery petals from flowers raining down from above, "but I'm prepared to do what we must."_

 _"The grand feast will begin shortly," a klavekna announces, shuffling through the crowds, "the princess and prince shall join shortly."_

 _Karras watches as the Tamaraneans scatter, hurrying into the main hall of the palace for the feast._

 _"Is it all duty?" Koriand'r asks quietly, holding her hands to her chest, her eyes searching the horizon for something, anything that will fix the hole in her chest. It's been barely three months since she came._

 _"Not at all. I am honored to have a partner such as yourself ruling by my side." He hesitates, following her line of sight. "But you know my heart is yearning for another, just as I know yours is."_

End

 **A/N:** So, there we have it! Less drama, more exposition. Lots of Starfire stuff revealed, far more to come. What's the deal with Raven's glowing gem? All will be revealed in the next few chapters so please stay tuned.

 **Stuff To Note:** a full list of Tamaranean vocab and political info will be available on my tumblr shortly as a reference guide. The next chapter or two will be a little more expository- I want you guys to chill before I really bring down the hammer. Upload schedule is still once a week for sure, hopefully in it's already completely edited form.

Thank you thank you thank you for all the kind words and support! Please **review**! All reviews, good, bad, and ugly are greatly appreciated.

See you next week lovelies!

ZRC


End file.
